Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Alright, come on then!

Even if I have to die in this way, I’ll at least go down after twisting Rebecca that brat’s wrist.

“Hey! You!”

“Bring it on, bring it on!)

Tcontrolled my stumbling steps as I braced myself.

Even if I begged, trembling and meek, I’d only be inciting the sisters to treat me more harshly.

What are you doing? You said you were going to hit me, so hit me!

“Are you crazy?!”

One would probably get surprised at most if a chicken rushed towards them, but a swan’s body was well over one meter taller than a chicken, especially when it stood up to its full height.

I won’t lose to you if we’re talking about height!

I raised my head and spread my wings wide.

「Come at me! I’ll make sure to land a blow on your neck. 」

“…Urgh!”

Though she couldn’t understand animal speech, Rebecca’s eyes were now bloodshot.

Even if she was stupid, I knew Rebecca could tell when a swan was getting sassy with her.

“Oh so you wanna go a round, I see! You just see what I’m gonna do-”

“Stop at once, Rebecca.”

“…Ah, Unni.”

Rebecca, who was just about to lose her cool, turned to the cold, elegant voice that sounded behind her.

Rania haughtily spoke up after indifferently watching the two of us like it wasn’t related to her.

“I told you to keep a lady’s dignity whether or not there are people watching you.”

“It’s not like that, Unni…”

“Why are you talking to an animal.”

“…”

Is this what people mean when they say that rather than the mother-in-law who beats you, the sister-in-law who tries to stop her is more hateful.

Rebecca had gotten mad at me and wanted to fight, person to person, but Rania didn’t even see me as a human being.

Her blue eyes were filled with ridicule, seeming as if they were looking at someone beneath her.

“Right, Mother?”

“Er-erk!”

Something glistened in her hand, lighting up the small hall for a moment.

It looked different from what I’d seen in my previous life, such as a candle or a lightbulb.

I couldn’t open my eyes properly for a while because of the intense light.

“Now you look like a human.”

“Wha, what is that…”

“Would you understand even if I explained?”

I’d meant to give her a hateful smile, but I then saw my hands and feet.

In that moment, I was unable to get used to being in a human body at the sudden change and moved to shake my beak, only to realize I was shaking my head and that the feeling of my beak had disappeared.

“…What to do. It looks like you’re awkward in a human body and more used to being an animal.”

“It’s still nighttime, how is this possible…”

“I made a person into an animal, why wouldn’t I be able to make night into day.”

“…”

Click.

As she pressed her thumb against something on the small stick that was about the size of a ballpoint pen, our surroundings became dark like before.

I felt my body tingle indicating my transformation into a swan before Rania clicked the button on the stick and the light appeared again. Perhaps she felt proud of herself, because she gave me a smug smile.

“Illuna. It’s an item that only the Northern Lord can hold. It works by emitting light that’s been gathered from the sun, so it’s perfect for the North where the days are short.”

“…”

“It’s something that a lowlife can’t dare to covet so you should put away any thoughts you have on using it.”

“Hahhh.”

I looked at Rania who stood in front of me, slightly bending over.

There was no other witch like her who’d casually scoff and smile over such a precious magic item.

“But I guess this really does work. Hm, this is fun.”

“Rania Unni! What are you doing right now!”

“…”

“I told you! That this woman went to the city on her own!”

As expected, Rebecca wouldn’t stay quiet for long even if her sister pressured her to stop. As soon as I returned to my human body, she quickly began to complain to Rania.

“She did it on purpose to humiliate the duke’s household! Or she was trying to run away!”

“…Rebecca.”

“She even said with her own mouth that she’s my mother in front of all those people in the city! Is that something she should even be saying?”

“Hm, yes, I think we’ll need an explanation. What do you think, Mother?”

“…”

Rania’s upturned lips returned to their original flat position. I stood up as she turned to me with a frown.

“As if you’re even going to believe me if I explain?”

“…Duchess.”

“You called me ‘Mother, Mother’ so often that I thought I’d really become your mother, but what a surprise when you came looking for me in the middle of the night to tie a rope around my neck.”

*Tap.*

My hands had been gripping the floor, and they stung as I shook them, probably having gotten a few splinters when I fell. But since they’d only enjoy watching me suffer I pressed down on my pain and pretended like nothing happened as I looked at the two of them.

“If I was trying to escape, I’d have already tried before, and do you really think I’d walk around showing my face like that?”

“Then why did you go all the way to a pastry shop for dessert?”

“And exactly what else do you think a woman in her 20s goes to a cake shop to do?”

Are you stupid or what?

I snorted as if what she said was ridiculous, and Rania’s brows furrowed. But I knew this kind of attitude would actually help allay her suspicions.

“I just went because there wasn’t anything proper to eat. I thought I’d get something sweet while I was out.”

“You think that makes sense? You live half of your life as a black swan, why do you need dessert!”

“If you don’t believe me, go and stuff yourself with some raw fish.”

“…”

I gave a sharp retort to Rebecca, who, unable to contain herself, tried to get a word in.

Of course, I myself never ate raw fish, but I could say whatever I wanted to a person who’d never lived as a wild animal.

“Why? Do you want to experience firsthand what it feels like to crave sweets after living like me?”

“W-what! So just for one measly cake…”

“Yeah. I went absolutely crazy for it.”

“Eek…”

Rebecca flinched and backed away as I raised my head to look at her. Hands trembling like an invalid’s, she hid behind her sister.

“U-unni. What are you doing! You’re not really going to believe what she’s saying, right? At this rate, if we bring shame to the family name…”

“We’ll grab her by the neck and bury her alive in ice.”

“…”

Rania regarded me with furrowed brows.

She narrowed her eyes at me, mentioning the notorious ice swamp torture method as she warned me.

“The Duchess knows exactly what I mean. If you pull something like this one more time…”

“The eldest daughter will lose all claims to the family title.”

“…”

Why do you even try. We both know what the situation is.

I laughed as nonchalantly as possible and smoothed out the creases on my dress.

I know my value, too.

It wouldn’t take much effort to break my neck, but the situation would become much more complicated in the aftermath.

Though I was being used as a puppet, the fact was that the Duchess Evendell held an overwhelming amount of power and prestige in the palm of her hands.

“You probably still need my existence. You’ll probably need an ‘intact woman.’ and you’ll need to show my face from time to time.”

“…Catherine.”

“Of course my life is very important.”

Adjusting the stiff collar still around my neck, I looked at Rania squarely in the eyes.

She was a smart girl, she wouldn’t get rid of me over something like this.

Look all throughout the Northern Kingdom. There’s no other aristocrat family who’d so blatantly sell their daughter like mine.

“So you can rest assured. I didn’t know today’s incident would end up becoming so big, I’ll be more careful next time. I won’t recklessly go out…”

“No. Go.”

“…”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t let you leave.”

She gave me a sly smile and lightly looked at me with a slit-eyed look.

“What should I be afraid of? The likes of you can’t survive anywhere but here. What can you do when you can only be human for half a day. You’ll come crawling back all on your own to avoid being killed by hunters, won’t you?

“Then what’s the problem…”

“…Don’t go around pretending to be nice.”

Rania’s fingernails slowly climbed up towards my cheek.

“Catherine. If you’d rather go on a wicked rampage, like the half-crazy witch you really are…wouldn’t the situation become difficult for you if these types of rumors spread?”

“What’s your point!”

“I’m the one who’s qualified to be appointed as the successor to the Northern Lands.”

I couldn’t even laugh at her thoughts that surpassed my imagination. She’d already exceeded what normal people would consider the inconceivable.

She wouldn’t listen to what I said in response to her words anyway, so I nodded my head.

“I don’t have any interests in the throne, so there’s nothing to discuss anymore. I get what you’re saying. The incident this time will just have to be ignored…”

“Ignore? Who?”

“…”

You’re not saying, me?

Rania pointed at my collarbone as her laughter seemed to thicken with a poisonous air. The atmosphere shifted, and the previously trembling Rebecca gained enough confidence to take a step towards me.

“…”

If it was enough to make Rebecca’s liver swell, there wasn’t anything to be said about me, the target of this situation.

What is this woman planning on doing?

I grabbed at my chest, unable to make a sound, and Rania straightened herself and looked down at me with her blue eyes.

“As you wanted, Mother, I’ll let you live, but I won’t let you live so peacefully.”

“…What’s with that. Next week, a lawyer from the Northern Union is going to check up on me?”

“Of course that might be so. To make sure that the Duchess is still alive, to check to see if she’s completely fine and nothing is strange with her in any way.”

As the last thing I’d believed in with hope vanished, Rania swallowed her laughter and placed a finger on my cheek.