Author: aji (あじ)

Translator: sleepingjay

I wasn't proud of it, but I had a big att.i.tude.

Even if I was being careful, things like "civilities" would come peeling off from my manners in a crumble.

Even if it was fine at first, by the end I'd accidentally act haughtily. The tone of my voice would also automatically turn disrespectful, as if I was treating the people I talked to as fools. Other than the villagers with their generous hearts, anyone else would despise such a thing from the bottom of their hearts.

Since my birth, I'd always been raised this way, with malice as companions.

Hence, there was no way someone like me wouldn't notice the gazes stabbing at me from all around. Although they had covered it up well, I still saw through them.

With just one step treading into the residence, I'd been enveloped by contemptuous gazes akin to flames licking my whole body.

It was truly, wholly unpleasant.

Without any other ideas why, I thought the most likely reason for such a behavior was probably Andrea after all?

Although I was neither a kidnapper nor a criminal, the people serving this residence might not yet know the truth.

If that was the case, then it couldn't be helped.

But, however, seeing the portrait displayed in front of my eyes, I was at a loss for words.

It was so shocking, I probably exposed a face that was foolish even for me.

"This is……"

"What about it?"

"……Ngh."

A groan that could be described as a sigh — or perhaps a sense of remorse — leaked out of my mouth.

Soon after leading me to the drawing room, Knight Commander Moorwright had presented that thing to me.

In there, gazing and smiling towards us, was a woman with a face undoubtedly similar to me, like two peas in a pod.

Seeing that same black hair and eyes as mine, there was no way I could mistake that evil woman for somebody else.

"……That is — my older sister."

"Is that right?"

No mistake, the figure drawn on that portrait was my sister.

Smiling like that, her figure surely seemed as sweet and beautiful as a flower. However, to me, seeing that smile was really just like seeing an ugly magic beast.

"Knight Commander Moorwright, for what reason did you invite me here?"

"From your magic, I'd wondered if you might be her relative. However, even before I'd sensed your magic, I'd thought — your face is exactly alike. To my former wife, that is."

Former wife……

Since the moment I was shown this portrait, there were countless conjectures flying about inside my head.

But even within those conjectures, there was one that was most undesirable to me, namely, the truth that now made my head hurt.

"Former wife, you said. Then, is she now back in her country?"

"That's right. She went back three years ago. Because we beasts are not humans, that was what she'd said. Since that was the case, I'd sent her off back to her home."

"……That's not all there is to it, isn't there? There's no way you could divorce just with that."

Although my birth family was a collection of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, they had pedigree and history that didn't lose to those of the Moorwright Duke Household.

Moreover, that father who looked down on beastmen had agreed to such a betrothal. I was certain there was some ulterior motive to it.

And, since he had even purposely extended his reach to my home like this, there was definitely some reason for it.

"It might get a bit long, but would you like to hear the story out?"

"Yes."

Thus, I listened on as Knight Commander Moorwright recounted the many outrageous acts my sister had committed — which, upon hearing, made me almost immediately want to bite off my tongue.