The Sickly Youngest Member of the Villainous Family

“The cunning Winchester is imprisoning and torturing our heir, Evan Taylors, and there is no reason for the Taylors to endure it any longer.”

At the round table where the heads of the four Houses had gathered, Chenoa Taylor stared across the table at Recardo Winchester with an icy glare.

Vanessa Halo, head of House Halo, wielding using the power of the dragon, ‘Suhyeong.’

She had deep blue hair and sky-blue eyes, and her height was as tall as most men.

Elysion Akada, the heir of Akada using the power of the earth dragon, ‘Jihwa.’

With shimmering golden hair and violet eyes, he was a remarkably handsome young man and a great wizard.

Recardo answered Chenoa with a cold glare.

“Evan Taylors is merely receiving his punishment for breaking into my daughter’s room and threatening her.”

“Just punishment? You’re framing him for something he shouldn’t even be charged with!”

Chenoa protested, his voice rising.

Without blinking an eye, Recardo continued.

“The Taylors initiated the unfair treatment towards Othello first.”

“What do you mean?”

“All the tutors who were sent together with Othello have returned. They were refused entry, claiming that they cannot accept outsiders.”

“Ha, how should I know how many of them were Winchester’s spies before letting them in?”

“Then you should ask.”

A chilling dark aura wafted around Recardo’ head.

“You want me to let Evan Taylor, who hasn’t so much as opened his mouth to tell me what purpose he had in entering my daughter’s room, loose in my mansion, with no idea what he’s up to?”

A vivid and intense azure aura rose threateningly from behind Chenoa Taylor as well.

“Both of you, calm down.”

Elysion Akada opened his mouth to purify the tense atmosphere created by their intense powers.

“Yes, both of you. Heated arguments won’t help solve the problem.”

Vanessa Halo was the oldest of them all.

“And think about it. We briefly exchanged children to promote peace, and to come to the brink of war like this…… isn’t desirable.”

But neither Recardo nor Chenoa blinked an eye.

Vanessa Halo sighed softly, feeling that the issue between Winchester and the Taylors was deepening.

“It may be an excessive move on the part of Duke Winchester to imprison Evan Taylor, but there may be some reason behind it. If he intruded into Sasha’s room, we should at least know the reason.”

“She’s just a little girl. My son is the heir to the Taylor family.”

Chenoa Taylor coldly stated the difference between the two children.

He had received reports on Sasha Winchester, but he couldn’t find any special aspect, including her bloodline.

Recardo Winchester twisted his lips coldly.

“To kill that young girl, Kaisa’s followers raided the family carriage.”

Recardo’s words reminded Chenoa of a bitter defeat.

A humiliation at the boys’ hunting tournament.

What their ancestor, Kaisa, had done a century ago had traumatized all of them, the standing of the Taylor family had significantly diminished since the day Kaisa’s curse manifested.

“Why do you connect that incident with this one?”

“There’s no reason not to link it when the Taylors have already attacked twice.”

Chenoa let out a bitter sigh.

“Actually, that’s what I’m wondering, too.”

After a long moment of silence, Elysion Akada spoke up.

He turned his inquisitive violet eyes to Recardo.

“I’ve seen the memories of that day through Vanessa’s eyes, and they are truly remarkable. The abilities displayed by a little girl of only two years old are truly…….”

Elysion paused for a moment, then spoke.

“I felt she was special, to the point where I wondered if that was why the practitioners of Kaisa’s curse had attacked the little lady.”

Chenoa’s eyes twitched.

“…….”

“If Duke Winchester agrees, we could bring the little girl to Akada for investigation…”

At Elysion’s suggestion, Recardo firmly responded.

“I have no intention of turning her into a test subject for mad sorcerers.”

Elysion sighed with a hint of disappointment.

The members of Akada were exceptional individuals leading the future of the empire, but they were notorious for being eccentrics.

Their intellectual curiosity often surpassed their morality.

Vanessa, who had been murmuring about what she should do with these here, spoke up.

“Regardless, I agree that Sasha Winchester should be protected from Taylor.”

Chenoa Taylor was indignant at her words.

“Vanessa! Who is being protected from whom?”

“It’s not about the family, it’s about the child. It is an undeniable fact that she was attacked by Taylor’s men who carried the curse of Kaisa.”

Vanessa said, recalling the image of Sasha the baby walking.

“Chenoa, you may deny any connection with them, but we can’t be sure that Evan Taylor has no involvement either, as long as the child remains silent.”

“Nonsense!”

“I’ll propose a compromise. Let’s try to resolve this as peacefully as possible.”

All eyes turned to Vanessa Halo.

Chenoa Taylor’s face turned red with an unsatisfied expression, and Recardo Winchester’s expression was as cold as if you couldn’t stick a needle through it. But whenever there was a conflict between the families, Halo always played the role of mediator.

Vanessa Halo could only hope that her proposed compromise would be convincing.

* * *

“What? You’re going to release Evan?”

He stared at Recardo, dumbfounded.

Evan’s words about killing me were still fresh in my mind.

But Recardo remained composed, calmly cutting his meat.

“I think it’s inappropriate.”

During the family dinner, Jin spoke seriously, stating his opinion.

“It’s a decision made in Verus.”

“But what if he threatens Sasha again?”

“…..He will die.”

Recardo’s voice was emotionless, but its impact resonated deeply in my heart.

Die? But…….

Recardo continued.

“Elysion Akada has given me a suitable object.”

I’d heard of Elysion Akada, head of House Akada, one of the Four Great Houses.

In the original, they had a very friendly relationship with the Taylors.

Casilion, the nephew of Elysion Akada, was a person who would one day become the head of the magicians, the Mage Tower Master, and he also became a colleague of Evan Taylor.

“If it’s something suitable…..”

Then, the door opened, and Evan Taylor, shackled and held by guards, was dragged in.

It was not a pretty sight, even though he was the heir of a hostile family and the person guilty of attacking me.

We were sitting at the dining table with a sumptuous feast, and Evan’s appearance didn’t quite fit in.

Of course, Evan’s expression was overly stoic.

It’s a look that only makes sense now that I know he’s a regressor.

Following behind Evan Taylor, Rowen approached with a ring in hand, holding Evan’s hand and placing it on his ring finger.

He then released the wrist restraint that sealed Evan’s abilities.

Evan’s eyebrows twitched, indicating that he didn’t know what to make of it.

A moment later, Rowen approached me with another ring.

“……?”

Jin’s black flame flickered, wary of what Rowen was about to do, but then he heard Recardo’s low voice.

“Be still.”

Rowen bowed his head to me and spoke.

“If you’ll excuse me, my lady. May I have your hand for a moment…….”

I looked at Evan.

I couldn’t tell what the situation was just by looking at his face.

Even in the midst of all this, Recardo was calmly having his meal, and I eventually reached out my hand to Rowen.

Rowen handed me a ring similar to the one he gave Evan earlier.

The fit on my ring finger was a little big, but after a few seconds, it started emitting a faint light.

“…….”

Surprisingly, Evan’s ring also emitted light, as if resonating with mine.

After a moment, the ring shrank to fit perfectly on my finger.

Looking at Evan’s expression, it seemed that his ring had also resized to fit his finger.

Rowen had completed his work and withdrew without explanation.

Now it was just Recardo, Jin, and me…… with Evan and the two soldiers holding his arms.

Jin stared at Evan with a cold gaze.

“Evan Taylor.”

Then, Recardo’s voice was heard.

I flinched and looked at Recardo.

His dark green eyes were fixed on Evan.

“…….”

Evan remained silent.

His expression indicating that he saw no value in responding.

Recardo twisted his lips a little.

“If Sasha dies.”

At the mention of my name from Recardo’s mouth, my spine stiffened.

Evan’s eyebrows seemed to move slightly.

Recardo’s lips twisted again.

“….You’ll die too.”