Chapter 2

Boom!

A fire broke out.

The bomb I had thrown exploded, and the small stable burst into flames. Smoke rose above the blazing fire. The explosive’s capacity was vast. It was a good punch.

I smiled with relief as I recalled the horses that had safely fled to the forest at this moment.

Everything was as planned. I pretended that it was a bomb-throwing class, so I hurled the bomb towards the stable. I didn’t wish to eliminate lives, so I let the young and strong horses out before I casted the bomb. The stable was full of old and sickly horses.

You’ve had a hard time, so it would be good to run freely until you die in nature.

“Estiya, were you surprised?”

I trembled reflexively. My older brother Kaylan, who witnessed my reaction, gently covered my shoulder while pulling me closer to him.

His soft silver hair fluttered in the wind. It was a beautiful face that you wouldn’t forget once you’ve witnessed it.

However, don’t be fooled by that face.

He could break three-hundred and sixty-five pieces of bones in a human’s body with that beautiful face and enchanting smile.

I didn’t forget to quickly nod and tremble my shoulders, pretending to be terrified.

“If Estiya was startled, why would you ask? You still don’t know? A bomb doesn’t suit Estiya. Do you think a black bomb could sugarcoat her? We have to teach our Estiya how to use the sword. Just imagine, her dancing with a colorful jeweled sword; Estiya, let’s go with your sister.”

My twin sister, Ether, grasped my hand as she dragged me.

I didn’t want to learn more about swords or bombs. What’s the difference in using a sword covered in jewels to kill a person? It’s the same as every other thing that’s used to commit murder.

I showed that I had no talent in catching and torturing people until I was seventeen, yet my sisters and brother did not give up on me.

They were worried about the talentless me, living in constant danger as a member of the Cartina’s family.

The Cartina family came across countless enemies. There have been many attempts inside as well as outside. Rather, it became a bigger problem when the enemy was a Cartina.

The Cartina family had an inheritance system in which forced them to turn each other into their enemies. It was different from the existing aristocratic families, which had the eldest son accepting the inheritance as a principle.

Any Cartina could inherit the family inheritance and title, so a fierce succession battle would arise.

Political scuffle?

No.

All they had to do was somehow earn a letter of submission from the opponent to give up succession.

The key word here was ‘somehow.’

Stefan, my father and the current Count of Cartina, was the third son of the preceding Count of Cartina.

He crippled an arm of the first, Schubert, and kidnapped the second’s, Shuran’s, fiancee.

Stefan became Count Cartina, yet he could not confirm for certain that the next Count of Cartina would be succeeded by his son or daughters.

There were still the children of Schubert and Shuran who were after us.

“Fencing? You’re going to make my little Estiya lift that heavy sword? You, I’ll kill you if you blister my sister’s baby palms. Estiya is better off learning how to torture more gracefully than that.”

Torture is not elegant, Eyla.

I smiled awkwardly and took turns glancing at Eyla and Ether, both of them were grabbing one of my hands. Please stop.

“Ha, I shouldn’t have spoken. Take the sword, Eyla.”

“The sword? Who fights with a sword?”

Ether let go of my hand as she lifted a vial out of her pocket. Her eyes shone grimly as she placed the medicine bottle between her fingers. The atmosphere was not pleasant.

This is serious.

As Ether gently waved her hand, the black liquid sparkled. The content inside the bottle was a dreadful medicine that would melt a person’s flesh as soon as it made contact with the skin.

“If you’re fighting over Estiya, I shouldn’t be left out.”

Kaylan pulled a fist-sized bomb out of his pocket.

What’s wrong with you?

Things became menacing. It wasn’t your typical cute siblings’ fight. The cute, typical fight would cause some hair loss and earns some bruises on the face. Our fight is …

I recalled the quarrel a few days ago. The topic of that fight was bizarre. Nonetheless, it was regarding who would have lunch with me. Then, a fight broke out for such an absurd reason.

So what happened?

The eastern mansion was destroyed.

Several servants were injured. There were some who were so badly hurt that they could not work anymore.

This fight would contain bombs, poison and even a sword, so it’d turn out worse than last time.

Please stop now. I didn’t wish for the innocent to get hurt.

“I want to learn everything. As a Cartina, I want to learn everything so that I can become a person who is not ashamed!”

My siblings’ eyes looked down at my face; I was half as tall as them.

I was never small. They’re just big for nothing.

It was at that moment when their eyes, which had been burning with ferociousness toward each other, became deeply moved.

The three hugged me simultaneously.

“Oh my God! Our Estiya is so studious.”

I’m not interested in killing other people at all, but I couldn’t help it this time, in order to stop the fight.

“What should we learn first, Estiya? How to construct a bomb?”

I’m doomed.

I never imagined the end of this fight would be the beginning of another.

Eventually, the fight broke out, and the results were disastrous. The poison field that our mother, Hela de Cartina, cherished deeply, was burned down.

“How dare you fight in front of Estiya? Are you crazy?”

With transparent, white skin and cherry-red lips, Hela de Cartina was the villain among villains.

She was an expert on poison within the Empire and possessed a natural talent of feeding deadly chemicals to others without batting an eye.

“I’m sorry, Mother.”

Both Kaylan and my sisters knelt in front of her.

“Where do you want me to break?”

Hela clenched her hand. My body flinched whenever I heard a crackling sound resonating from her delicate fingers.

Her punishment was abnormal.

I’ve seen it multiple times before now. However, no matter how often I witnessed the punishment, I could never become accustomed to it.

It was too bad a punishment for a child’s fight.

It was worse.

If we were in Korea, this would have become the trending news.

I think those who do bad things deserve to be punished. However, no one in my family was commonly punished. No matter how guilty they were, I refused to let my sisters and brother, who have grown with me for seventeen years, suffer such terrible incidents in front of me.

I blinked my eyes multiple times. Following that, I turned my head to the other side and opened my mouth as wide as I could. Tears welled up around my eyes as I forcibly yawned.

Very good. I grabbed Hela’s skirt before my tears could dry up.

“Mom, brother and sisters are not at fault. It’s all because of me. Because I’m not talented … hick.”

Like this.

A teardrop flowed down my cheek.

Good timing.

I could successfully become an actor if I wished for it.

“Estiya, don’t blame yourself. It’s not our Estiya’s fault.”

Hela held me in her arms.

“Mom, I’ll be very distressed if brother and sisters get punished.”

I raised my head as Hela held me in her arms.

Hela’s cavernous red pupils met with my bright green eyes.

“Our Estiya, she’s very thoughtful of her siblings. How can you be so different from your siblings?”

Hela swept over my wavy blonde hair.

“Mom, you’ll forgive them, right?”

Hela’s eyes quivered.

I sincerely hope Hela will think cleverly.

“Alright. Since Estiya is asking for this, I’ll forgive them. Instead, Estiya, will you accompany mom to choose new dresses?”

“Yes, Mom.”

I smiled broadly.

Kaylan, Ether, and Eyla were sighing in relief after I’d convinced mother.

No matter how monstrous the Cartina family was, they still cared deeply for each of their precious bones.

There’s something to point out in that statement. They don’t care about physical pain, they worry about feeling guilty when they’ve done something unacceptable.

“However, you’ll have to take responsibility for what you’ve done, understood?”

“Yes, Mother.”

The three answered simultaneously.

Hela raised the corners of her mouth, favoring the obedient reply. Thus, she ended up giving a mission instead of her deadly punishment.

“Rodrigo Develi Erhardt, get him.”

“What? Mom, who?”

I was so shocked that I unconsciously asked back.

“Rodrigo Develi Erhardt, the Grand Duke of the Empire. Why, are you interested in him, my daughter?”

Hela’s face chilled for a moment.

“Oh, n-no. It’s not like that. I don’t even know who that person is.”

That is a lie.

I know very well who he was.

I am extremely interested in him.

Rodrigo was the man who destroyed our family in the original!

To explain a bit more, the person I had an unrequited crush on in the original work, and the one who hated me very much … He was the main character of the original.

“Yes, yes. Our Estiya doesn’t have to know him.”

Hela smiled as she hugged me, satisfied with the answer.

My heart started constantly beating.

Are we eventually going to meet the main character? Can’t we avoid him?

Unsympathetic God, I have lived quietly and calmly for seventeen years, yet you are so heartless.

Are you placing a death flag on me?

“Estiya?”

Hela opened her mouth as she noticed my dark face. I forced the corners of my mouth upwards.

“Estiya, let me know whenever you’re uneasy. We are Cartina. There’s nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be worried about.”

That’s right! I’m a Cartina!

If it doesn’t work, I’ll make it do.

I strengthened my will to live.

There were several proverbs in the Cartina family. ‘If you don’t want to die, kill it first’ was one of them.

I’ll be using this proverb a little bit differently, and that would be, ‘If you don’t want to die, save it first.’

To be honest, this was an evil family, so it wouldn’t be strange to get struck by lightning while committing evil acts.

As such, I’ll do something good.

I don’t want to die getting stabbed on the street or drinking poison.

I made up my mind.

Let’s save Rodrigo.

If the people in my house do bad things, then I would secretly do good things for the male protagonist.

Plus one and minus one equal zero!

That was my operation.

“Do it a week later, during the banquet. It’s an excellent environment to kidnap the person. Rodrigo has countless enemies, so they wouldn’t be able to easily find out who committed the act.”

There was only one reason why Hela set the kidnapping as the banquet day.

“It’s a good day to work.”

I could feel Hela’s heart beating with excitement.

It was dangerous.

The male lead is in danger.

It wasn’t the time to stand and watch. I have to stay calm. I have to proceed.

“Mom, I want to go to the banquet too.”

I spoke earnestly, my eyes sparkling.

“That …”

Hela opened her mouth.

All you have to do now is say ‘Yes.’

“… You cannot.”

I was unexpectedly rejected?