Chapter 114 ………………………………………
After the meal, Shebert called Ron aside.
The two brothers stood side by side, looking out over the garden.
Staring up at the clear sky, Shebert thought back to what had happened a few days earlier.
“Shebert! You’re going to the Loudne region?! How can the future head of the Kereis family go to such a dangerous place!”
Those were the words he’d heard from his grandmother when he visited his maternal family.
It was difficult to persuade her—she doted on her grandchildren to an extreme. Only after his mother argued that mastering the sword required real combat did he finally gain permission.
“The future head of the Kereis family…”
Ever since he was young, Shebert had naturally assumed he would succeed his father.
The second son, Ron, had gone missing, and the third, Krimu, was still too young.
That belief had never wavered.
“…Brother? Brother?”
“…Ah, yes.”
Shebert snapped out of his thoughts at Ron’s voice.
“What were you thinking about so deeply?”
Meeting Ron’s gaze, Shebert asked,
“Ron, do you want to become the head of the Kereis family?”
“What?”
“If you do, say so. I wouldn’t mind even if you took the position.”
“…”
Ron’s face crumpled.
Looking at him—so similar yet so different from himself—Shebert shrugged.
“I’m serious. I used to be absolutely certain I’d become the head of the family. But not anymore. Rather than fighting you tooth and nail over that seat, I’d rather just leave.”
“Brother, what are you saying?”
“…You don’t like it?”
“No. I don’t.”
Ron let out a long breath and continued.
“I have no plans to become the head of the family for the rest of my life.”
“Then what do you plan to do?”
“…Find happiness with the person I love.”
Both of Ron’s ears turned red.
But his eyes were steady—clear and unwavering.
As Shebert met those vividly colored crimson eyes, a smile crept onto his lips without him realizing it.
His younger brother Ron had always been someone who made him smile.
“I see. I understand how you feel.”
Shebert extended his hand toward Ron.
“A handshake all of a sudden? What does it mean?”
“It’s a handshake to show I support your happiness with the person you love.”
“…You mean that?”
“Yes. At least, in this moment.”
Ron relaxed his furrowed brow and took his hand.
Feeling the warmth of his grip, Shebert spoke silently to himself.
Ron, I’ll be leaving soon. So stay healthy.
That afternoon, an unexpected guest arrived at the estate.
“My uncle…? My uncle came?”
Of all times—when I was already busy making magic bombs.
I frowned, struggling to recall a name I hadn’t heard in ages.
Maryanne’s uncle.
“Anne, my precious Maryanne!”
The man who had once warmly welcomed me when I was orphaned—only to eventually say—
“Anne, from now on, you’ll go to the Kereis family instead.”
The bastard who sold me because I had no magical ability.
Of course, looking at it now, thanks to him bringing me here I’ve been living comfortably and well.
Still, his intentions were rotten.
He sold a child to a shady noble family for money.
‘But why is he here?’
After changing clothes, I went to the reception room, where the all-too-familiar face greeted me.
“Oh, my lovely little one. Anne!”
“…?”
What was with that cringe-inducing greeting?
When he rushed toward me to hug me, I easily pushed him away with both hands.
Instead of getting offended, my uncle looked proud.
“You’ve grown this much already. You really look like a future duchess.”
“It’s been a while, Uncle. I heard you left far away after abandoning me here.”
“What! What nonsense is that! Abandon you?!”
He shook his head so hard his chubby cheeks wobbled, glancing around as if someone might overhear.
“There’s no one here. It’s just you and me.”
“Ah—i-is that so? Anyway, I absolutely did not abandon you.”
“You took money, though.”
“N-no! That’s not true!”
Waving both hands, he insisted again and again.
Then, for a long while, he lavished praise on the expensive jewels and dress I was wearing.
Picking at my ear, I got to the point.
“So why are you here?”
“Well, uh… Anne, give me some money.”
“…”
Not lend me some—just give.
And so blunt about it, too.
Stunned, I had to replay his words in my head.
Licking his dry lips, my uncle shamelessly continued.
“I heard you laid the groundwork for the Belzure Merchant Guild. That must be thanks to inheriting the Delve family’s brilliant mind, right?”
Anyone would think he was my father the way he talked.
We were barely distant relatives.
“My intelligence has nothing to do with you, Uncle. Besides, our family went bankrupt. That’s why you abandoned me.”
Undeterred, he kept going.
“Anne, everyone says our family is finished, but if you become a duchess and give me a lot of money, there’s a chance we can rise again. So let’s go pray to the guardian deity of the Delve family right now. If we pray sincerely—”
“…What?”
A guardian deity of the Delve family?
This was the first I’d heard of it—both in the original story and in this world.
“A guardian deity? There really is one?”
“Y-yes. Of course, it hasn’t shown itself to us in a long time, but if you’re about to become a duchess, that’s a major event for the family, isn’t it? Surely it will appear before us again, now that we’re family.”
“Where is this guardian deity?”
“Well…”
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes.
Seeing that I clearly had no idea, he seemed ready to take advantage of it.
“Anne, you must have forgotten because you were so young. But that’s fine. You have family now—me.”
“But Uncle, why do you keep saying ‘family’?”
“Because we are family.”
“No, you transferred my guardianship.”
“…Anne! Even if I transferred guardianship, didn’t I still feed and take care of you?”
Huh?
What nonsense was this now?
“You mean the single day I stayed at your house?”
Before selling me, I’d stayed at his place for exactly one day.
If he seriously called that ‘raising me,’ then he was human trash.
As I shot back, his face grew anxious—then he suddenly exploded.
“Do you know how much effort I put in for you, huh?! No one wanted to take in a child like you! So I brought you in, fed you, gave you a place to sleep—and this is how you repay me?! You ungrateful brat!”
“Ow!”
He lunged forward and grabbed my shoulder hard.
My body shook, and the magic-stone necklace slipped out from between my clothes.
His eyes widened when he saw it.
“Fine! Then hand this over!”
“It hurts!”
His body was twice my size as he roughly shook me, trying to rip the necklace away.
Bastard.
That was it.
I gathered my mana, deciding I didn’t need to endure this any longer.
Just as I was about to make sure he either dropped dead or couldn’t walk out on his own—
Bang!
“Anne.”
“Anne!”
“Big sister!”
The reception room doors flew open, and the three Kereis brothers appeared.
They must have heard everything from outside—their faces were twisted with rage.
Ron in particular was glaring at my uncle with fury unlike anything I’d seen before.
“I’ll erase you.”
Shebert, too, cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders.
“Perfect timing. I was just about to warm up.”
Krimu, not fully understanding the situation, clenched his small fists anyway.
“Hoiya! I’ll protect big sister!”
“Anne, are you okay?”
The moment I saw the three brothers, I widened my eyes.
Heat welled up around them.
My nose flared.
And just as planned, pitiful tears slid down my cheeks.
Seeing that, the brothers’ anger only intensified.
‘As expected, turning on the waterworks doubles the effect.’
I didn’t wipe away the clear drops falling one after another, instead lowering my head weakly.
Realizing how serious the situation had become, my uncle began trembling all over.
“Anne, Anne. Why are you crying all of a sudden, huh?”
“Because of you, Uncle.”
“What? Anne, it looks like those people are misunderstanding something. Anne, no! You have to stay with me—where do you think you’re going?!”
Shaking off the hand that tried to grab me, I spoke to the brothers.
“How did you all find out… sniff.”
“Anne crying… Should I kill him, or just knock him out?”
At Shebert’s words, Ron snapped.
“Brother, what are you saying? We should kill him immediately.”
“Uwaaah!”
My uncle stumbled backward, fell, and rolled across the floor.
Glancing at him, I said calmly,
“Ron, killing him immediately is a bit much.”
I wiped away my tears decisively.
Ron’s face flushed red.
“S-sorry. No matter what, he is your uncle, Anne. I didn’t think it through. Then what should we do?”
“Well, first of all.”
Rolling up my sleeves, I spoke firmly.
“I’ll hit him ten times first. We can’t just kill him right away.”
