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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Could she ever see Robert as a threat?
There was a time when she truly believed so.
No, back then, it was the only logical conclusion.
He was always the incompetent sibling, wasn’t he?
She never entertained even the slightest possibility that he might become a rival.
When he declared his intention to become the head of the family, she dismissed it as mere arrogance.
What could he possibly change with his last-minute struggles?
The majority of the nobles had already pledged their allegiance to her, so Yuria never truly saw Robert as a threat.
His trips to the North and South meant nothing.
They wouldn’t change a thing.
She had personally ensured his reputation was in ruins.
While she felt no guilt for spreading those rumors, she had mostly ignored him.
How could she not?
The emotions she felt towards her weak and fragile younger brother amounted to nothing but pity.
He was loved without having to do anything, without excelling in anything.
So after their mother’s death, Yuria had decided to teach him a lesson.
The world was a harsh place, and whining wouldn’t get him anywhere.
She wanted him to experience that firsthand.
Those ten fingernails were a small price to pay for such a valuable lesson.
However, time passed, and he remained unchanged.
She eventually gave up.
His very core was rotten, she decided, and no amount of struggle could change that.
Pathetic and fragile, he was a permanent blemish that she would have to eliminate once she ascended to the position of head.
She believed his trips North and South would amount to nothing.
He was far too insignificant to make any meaningful changes, and most importantly, her plan to become the family head was flawless.
Or so she thought.
Even Yuria couldn’t deny the sudden shift in power.
Her carefully laid plans began to unravel.
First, she failed to secure the head position through her father.
Then, the nobles started abandoning her, one by one, shattering the delicate balance of power she had painstakingly built.
The scales tipped drastically.
It was now painfully obvious that she might not become the head.
The realization that this could happen to her, of all people, was inconceivable.
Why? Where did it all go wrong?
She couldn’t have predicted Robert gaining anything substantial from his trips North and South.
Normally, securing the support of the Grand Duchess and the Saint wouldn’t be so easy.
It was almost laughable how naturally they aligned themselves with Robert.
Everything was falling apart, her meticulously crafted plan, her carefully cultivated allies, nothing remained intact.
‘What’s the problem?’
Yuria finally had to admit it.
Robert was the reason for this catastrophic turn of events.
He was far more capable than she had ever imagined, possessing the power to completely reverse the situation.
She should have realized something was different when his demeanor changed months ago.
To think he was sharpening his blade all along…
A part of her was almost glad.
Once Robert’s power crumbled, no one would oppose her ascension to the head position.
She contemplated how to bring about his downfall, but there was no immediate solution.
She had spread rumors about him possibly harboring treasonous thoughts, but the Imperial Family remained unresponsive.
Even the nobles had begun expressing doubts.
With the Duke supporting Robert and the Saint on his side, the few nobles who still remained loyal were now hesitant.
Attempting to politically cripple Robert was pointless, and even her father’s mental state was being questioned.
The only surefire way to regain control, she decided, was to eliminate him.
If she killed him somewhere no one would find him, she would be the only remaining heir.
…She should have killed him long ago.
If she had, none of this would be happening.
Yuria acknowledged her own complacency.
To think she underestimated her own brother, despite being born into the Taylor family…
She had altered the structure of the mansion, magically concealing the path leading to the basement to prevent any suspicion.
Forewarned by the news from the North, she had prepared for the possibility of Robert possessing some combat ability.
The attendants she had chosen were each skilled enough to be knights, and she believed they could overpower even a knight captain if they worked together.
“Did you think ten would be enough? You were naive. You always choose the easiest path, even now.”
Swoosh.
Robert calmly wiped the blood that splattered across his face and smiled.
Yuria couldn’t believe her eyes.
She had confirmed that each attendant was highly skilled.
He supposedly subdued the leader of the tribes according to the rumors, but how could he possibly…?
Robert stood unscathed, having single-handedly defeated all ten.
Even his body, which had been swaying from the poison moments ago, appeared completely fine.
It was as if he had taken an antidote beforehand, but only she and her attendants had access to the antidote…
It had taken Robert mere minutes to disarm and slaughter everyone in the room.
“It seems you were confident. Your reaction tells me I was right.”
Yuria’s eyes were trembling.
She couldn’t believe what she had witnessed, and her carefully constructed reality had crumbled before her.
Fear gripped her.
Was the man standing before her truly her brother? Or was he someone else? The Crown Prince, perhaps?
Her thoughts raced in a frenzy.
“Robert never even held a sword, he couldn’t possibly be this skilled. Ha, I thought those rumors were absurd, but were they true all along?”
She knew better than anyone that Robert had never held a sword.
He lacked the physical prowess even as a child.
He couldn’t run fast and had no talent for physical activities.
Was he academically gifted then?
No, he possessed nothing but sheer stubbornness.
She had dismissed him as useless, but how could he wield a sword like that?
The powerful mana emanating from Robert’s body suffocated her.
She couldn’t breathe.
She tried to back away, but her body refused to move.
Only ragged breaths escaped her trembling lips.
“You asked who I am? You already know, don’t you?”
Dropping his blood-soaked sword, Robert slowly walked towards her.
Even after he withdrew his mana, Yuria remained frozen in place.
Momentarily confused by his confident demeanor, she stared at Robert, her lips trembling.
“I don’t know who you are. If I did, I wouldn’t have been so careless.”
“How bold of you. Do you still believe you hold the advantage?”
Yuria’s demeanor remained unchanged.
She was still arrogant, her eyes filled with that same cold disdain that had always infuriated Robert.
He chuckled, almost relieved by her unwavering attitude.
Had she shown fear and weakness, he might have felt his heart grow cold.
“…Come any closer, and I’ll cut you down.”
Yuria drew her sword.
She couldn’t be certain that this man wasn’t Robert, but he was clearly a skilled swordsman.
He had easily defeated her highly trained attendants, but now that he had discarded his sword, she could at least threaten him.
Her mind raced, desperately searching for a way out.
She was cornered, but it wasn’t over yet.
There had to be a solution.
Robert’s expression hardened as he watched her draw her sword.
After a moment of silence, he chuckled softly.
“I am Robert Taylor. Son of Arthur Taylor, son of Serena Yugress, and brother to Yuria Taylor.”
“Impossible-”
“But there’s something you seem to have forgotten.”
Blood dripped from Robert’s hand as he gripped his sword.
The blade dug into his flesh, but his expression remained unchanged.
The boy who used to cry at the smallest injury was long gone.
A gap only he could remember, a chasm Yuria couldn’t comprehend.
He watched her flinch, then snapped his sword in half.
Crack.
The broken blade clattered to the ground, and Yuria frantically retreated.
She tried to open the door behind her, to escape into the mansion, but her hand froze before reaching the handle.
“101 times,” Robert muttered.
“We’ve finally arrived here, though you probably won’t remember.”
Drops of blood stained the floor as he walked towards her.
He closed the basement door, sealing their fate.
Click.
The sound of the lock resonated through the room, and Yuria, backed into a corner, narrowed her eyes.
Escape was impossible, but she hadn’t given up completely.
She had stationed reinforcements nearby, just in case.
If she could hold out until they arrived, there might be a chance.
While it appeared the poison had no effect, it was likely a delayed reaction.
Simply inhaling it was enough to kill.
Without the antidote, he wouldn’t be able to endure for long.
As Yuria pondered this, Robert chuckled, seemingly realizing her thoughts.
“You’re wondering why I’m fine, aren’t you? You used poison, but why am I unaffected?”
He could explain it if she was curious.
This particular poison couldn’t be neutralized with mana.
If that were possible, poison would be useless as a weapon.
The reason he was immune in this lifetime was a matter of pure coincidence.
White light emanated from Robert’s body as he channeled his mana.
An unfamiliar energy, distinct from his blue mana.
Yuria frowned as she watched him.
The warm and gentle energy was identical to the Saint’s.
“The divine power neutralized the poison. I was fortunate enough to receive it from the Saint during my trip South.”
“The Saint, ha.”
There was no such thing as coincidentally receiving divine power.
He had anticipated this.
The poison wouldn’t work.
What were her chances of survival now?
She had to buy time.
As long as she remained alive, there was still a chance.
“If you kill me, you’ll be the prime suspect. You know my influence in the mansion is still strong. Rumors of you entering the basement with me have already spread. Can you handle the consequences if you kill me here? It’ll be extremely disadvantageous for you.”
Assassinations were common occurrences in the Taylor family, but they were never confirmed as such.
However, it was undeniable that she and Robert had entered the basement together.
He couldn’t kill her here.
Silence filled the room after she spoke.
Convinced she had struck a nerve, Yuria smiled inwardly.
“You won’t kill me. You wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences. So-”
“I never intended to kill you.”
Robert interrupted.
He agreed that eliminating her cleanly was the best course of action.
He knew, from experience with Theresa, that killing her was more efficient than rendering her permanently incapacitated.
But that wouldn’t be punishment enough for her crimes.
There was a way to break her completely, to ensure she could never harm anyone again.
He had contemplated it at length and finally found a solution.
“Don’t worry, I’m not saying I’ll let you live unscathed. You might even prefer death to what awaits you.”
Hallucinations, illusions.
But they wouldn’t be entirely fictional.
Memories forged from the pain he had endured.
Could she possibly withstand the weight of his 100 lives?
Robert stared at Yuria, a flicker of pity crossing his face as he watched the woman standing at the precipice of her downfall.
How would she react to this descent into madness?
Perhaps she wouldn’t react at all.
She would be broken.
Inevitably, undeniably.
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[YESSSSSSSSSS LET HER SUFFER!!!!!]
