Chapter 75
[8. Cacillion Arcada
Title: None
Causality: 13%]
Why on earth does this kid show up with a causality rate of 13% right from the start?
And of all numbers, 13—just like Friday the 13th. How ominous.
“Good… material, you say?”
Cacillion, who had been clinging to me and sniffing like a puppy, suddenly lit up his violet eyes.
That expression on the face of an eight-year-old… it was enough to give me chills.
“I can feel it from you. Without a doubt—you’re good material. If I were to experiment on you…”
“I’m not your sister. And besides, you’re a boy!”
I pushed Cacillion away as I snapped.
He flinched at my horrified expression.
To be fair, his face was just as beautiful as any young noble lady’s. Maybe even prettier than mine.
“How did you know?”
“Because I already knew the one coming from Arcada for foster education was a boy.”
At my firm reply, Cacillion’s eyes flickered again.
“Even my material sister is smart!”
My head throbbed.
“Stop calling me material… And human experimentation is forbidden in Arcada too, isn’t it?”
Ever since the incident with Kaisa, head of the Taylors family a hundred years ago, all human experimentation had been banned by the Empire.
“That’s only if you don’t keep it a secret for me…”
“You’re insane…”
I hadn’t wanted to curse at a child, but the words slipped out on their own.
Naturally, Cacillion only smiled brightly, like the happiest child in the world.
He was living proof of the “evil by nature” theory.
“Anyway, I’m not material—I’m a person. Sasha Winchester, the youngest of the Winchester family! So stop spouting nonsense!”
At that, the joy slowly faded from Cacillion’s face.
He looked downcast, even timid.
“I knew it… I’m strange, right?”
I blinked.
“Everyone says I’m weird. Even my dad says I make him uncomfortable, and none of the kids want to play with me. I just get happy when I smell something nice, that’s all.”
A breeze rustled Cacillion’s golden hair.
“Of course. You’ll keep wearing dresses like that, so no wonder people feel uncomfortable—”
“When I think about inventing something new with fragrant material, my heart races. I feel like I’ll lose my mind from the joy, and it’s hard to hold it in. Especially when it’s something as fragrant as you, sister material—how could I possibly… haa…”
Before I knew it, Cacillion’s expression flushed red, his gloom nowhere to be seen.
Worse than anything I’d seen in the original story, or even in Secret of the Blue Hawk.
If he’s like this already… how on earth will he grow up? I had no expectations for the future.
But I couldn’t afford to make him an enemy either—after all, I needed him to make Elixirs.
“Milady.”
Just then, Maya called out to me.
In her hands were new toys she’d just picked up from the Elle Toyshop.
“Maya! Why are you only here now!”
I hurriedly moved away from Cacillion and clung to Maya’s skirt.
“I missed you. Let’s go inside.”
When I glanced at Cacillion, he looked a little hurt.
But I couldn’t stand hearing another word about “materials.”
Maya smiled gently and nodded.
“Yes, Milady. But… is he your friend?”
I tugged on Maya’s hand.
“Let’s just say no.”
“In the end, Permetis is coming.”
— How annoying. Want me to sneak in and assassinate him?
“What? No, assassination is a bit much…”
— You’re too soft-hearted. Not very Winchester of you.
That was Othello’s voice from beyond the Rune.
With both of them gathered on the Rune, it felt just like a group call over speakerphone.
Not long after, Maya’s voice came through.
“Milady, I’ve brought your evening medicine.”
I spoke into the Rune.
“Ah, Othello. I’ll take my medicine and be back.”
— By the way, why do you call Jin ‘brother’ and speak so politely to him, but not to—
“Goodbye, we’ll talk later.”
Soon after, Maya set the tray on the nightstand and handed me a cup filled with Elixia medicine.
Elixia always gave me the feeling of guarding my life force, preventing it from sinking any lower.
Life force had inertia—the lower it dropped, the easier it was to plummet further. That’s why stabilizing it early was essential.
I’d heard my brother had outright bought up an entire pharmacy in Rosento just for this. Impressive, really.
I grimaced, but didn’t complain as I drank it down.
“Ugh…”
“Well done. Here, Milady.”
Maya smiled and gave me a dried chaiberry candy.
I popped it into my mouth and chewed.
The bitter taste was quickly balanced by sweetness.
“You’ve grown a lot taller. We’ll need to have new dresses tailored for you.”
Despite my frailty, my height kept shooting up.
“Mm, I want comfortable activewear too.”
“I’ll call Madame Annette and her tailors soon.”
Rosento’s Annette Salon was like the Elle Toyshop of women’s fashion.
The largest and most famous in the Empire.
“They’ll surely bring the prettiest dresses in all the Empire—”
“Wait.”
I cut Maya off.
“Yes?”
“Shh. Do that.”
I’d noticed something outside.
I climbed out of bed and told her:
“Maya, I need to step out for a moment.”
“Ugh, smells like a barn.”
“Can’t be helped. Too many eyes around, so this is the only place we can come.”
Neville grumbled, and Beaumont answered irritably.
They were collateral relatives of the Winchesters, now studying at the main estate with Permetis.
Neville was eight, Beaumont ten.
And crouched before them with his head down was none other than Cacillion Arcada.
“I thought I’d die of irritation all class long. Because of that creepy brat.”
Beaumont kicked Cacillion hard in the chest.
“Beaumont, take it easy. What if Arcada files a complaint?”
“My father already looked into him. Apparently, even in Arcada’s facilities, he acted so weird they basically kicked him out.”
“Oh, so that’s why he was sent here for foster education?”
“No one would care if he died here.”
Beaumont snickered, then kicked the groaning Cacillion again.
“Just don’t kill him. No need to stir up trouble.”
“Proper discipline has to be taught.”
Cacillion was much smaller than them—he couldn’t fight back at all.
“A boy walking around in skirts…”
Neville sneered.
“And when Permetis talks to him, he should be grateful, but instead he ignores him?”
Beaumont added with a smirk:
“I heard his father’s half-crazy too. Tried all sorts of human experiments on his sick daughter to cure her, but she died anyway. And he couldn’t accept it, so now he makes this brat wear dresses and—ugh!”
At that moment, Cacillion suddenly bit Beaumont’s ankle. Beaumont kicked him off with his other foot.
Cacillion was thrown across the floor.
“Shut… up. Don’t talk like you know anything.”
A fierce, poisonous emotion gleamed in his violet eyes.
“What was that? Hah.”
Beaumont’s gaze turned deadly.
“You pathetic thing. I only meant to give you a little lesson, but no—you dare bite me like a dog?”
He stalked toward Cacillion and raised his foot to kick again.
“I’ll rip out all your teeth—”
[Skill: Black Domination (Lv.5 / SS) is activated.]
Beaumont froze mid-motion, his leg suspended in the air.
“……!”
Like a man turned to stone.
Neville stared dumbly at the strange sight, then realized—the door was open.
“Wh… what the—!”
“Aaagh!”
In that instant, Beaumont lifted his supporting leg too, crashing onto his backside.
The thud echoed through the barn.
“Wh-who’s there?!”
Alarmed, Neville grabbed a stick and swung it wildly at the air.
“Wh-which bastard—!”
[Skill: Damage Reflection (Lv.3 / A) is activated.]
The stick suddenly swung back and cracked Neville on the head.
“Gaaah!!”
The barn’s old mana-stone lamp flickered, casting an eerie, frightening light.
Beaumont scrambled up with a tense expression.
The two quickly scanned their surroundings, frozen in fear.
“N-Neville.”
“Let’s get out of here. Run.”
For all their bravado in dragging Cacillion out here, they were both cowards at heart.
They didn’t know who attacked them, but their instincts told them this was someone far stronger.
“Run!”
In the end, they abandoned Cacillion and fled in a panic.
“Ugh…”
Cacillion stayed doubled over for a long time from the pain of being kicked in the chest and stomach before finally straightening.
His clothes were filthy from rolling on the barn floor.
His hands were scraped raw.
He turned his gaze toward the cold breeze seeping through the open door.
Then he closed his eyes and sniffed the air.
When he opened them again, his cheeks were flushed, his expression dazed. His lips parted softly.
“…Sister material…”
