Revan's attention, as he prepared lunch in the kitchen, was focused on the two behind him.
Heavy silence...
The atmosphere was tense, as if it would explode at any moment, with everyone knowing each other's secrets but not speaking.
“Let’s eat.”
Revan opened a can of ham and placed a plate with a few slices of bread on it on the table.
And his throat was parched, so he drank some water first.
“I am not incompetent.”
“Phew!”
Ryan dropped a bombshell the moment he sat down. A startled Revan spurted water like a fountain, splashing his face.
"Crazy...."
But only Revan was surprised.
"I know."
Vania said calmly.
“Since when?”
Ryan asked, wiping the water from his face.
"Ever since Dad said you'd take revenge on the family. You wouldn't have been so confident about taking revenge when you had nothing. I was convinced of Dad's blessing when we caught the bear earlier."
“I think it’s something.”
“Instant death.”
In the middle, Revan stared blankly, his gaze shifting between the faces of the two siblings as they calmly continued their shocking conversation.
‘It seems the two of you have decided to speak openly...’
Maybe this is better.
“You know you can’t let your father catch you, right?”
Vania said quietly.
“I know. I absolutely can’t get caught. You know that if you hit me in the back of the head, you’re dead, right?”
“I know. I’m not bold enough to hit the back of the head of someone with instant death powers.”
Vania took something out of her sleeve and thrust it at Ryan.
“Please spare only the people listed there.”
A double-folded note.
Ryan unfolded it.
Richard Wassenberg
Christa Wassenberg
Alexander Wassenberg
“I have a half-brother who is three years older than me, a half-sister who is the same age as me, and a half-brother who is one year younger than me.”
“Huh, while my father was there, my younger siblings also got hit a lot.”
Ryan clicked his tongue and threw the note across the table.
“Why do you want to save them?”
“They’re good. They’re still young.”
“Will they continue to be good?”
“I don’t know. If they continue to live in that house, they might do something bad.”
"Yes?"
"So, before things get worse, Dad, please destroy our house. Since I'm here, Bless can train faster."
Ryan stared at Vania silently. The gaze directed at her could have been frightening, but Vania didn't avoid it.
"...good."
After a long time, Ryan spoke.
“Phew. Thank you.”
Although she spoke frankly, Vania must have been nervous inside, as she sighed and cleared her throat.
Only then did Revan open his mouth.
“I’m going to check it out...”
As I expected, Ryan played the right game. I felt relieved.
Now that I know his secret for sure, he's going to keep me by his side no matter what.
'I don't have any intention of running anyway.'
Now, I'm also on the straight and narrow. If Ryan tries to talk any further, I plan to confess everything except the fact that I've returned. That way, I can act more comfortably in the future.
“Let’s talk.”
...even a lion comes when I call it.
Ryan came into my room with a knock.
"I'm not pressuring you. I'm not threatening you to tell me. You can tell if you want, and you don't have to if you don't. Just don't lie."
Before asking the question, Ryan, who had laid out a very thick cushion, shook the note I had given him.
“Among you guys, is there anyone who helped you when you were kicked out?”
“Yes. My brother Richard.”
"Yeah. I figured that would be the case since he's the oldest. Does he also know you're not incompetent?"
"No. You don't have to worry. No one in our family, including Richard, knows my secret."
“Are you sure?”
"Yes. I won't lie. From now on, I'll tell you everything about how I left home."
“Yes. Go ahead.”
"I wanted to leave home, but the only way was to be kicked out as an incompetent person, so I decided to postpone it. But I felt like they wouldn't let me go quietly without killing me."
“...”
"Everyone outside the family knows I'm from Windsor Castle, where my father's illegitimate children live. So, they can't just dismiss me as an unrelated child, but since I happen to be incompetent... My father was at a loss as to what to do with me."
I shrugged and added.
"You know, Father, right? He pathologically hates it when it's revealed that someone incompetent has come from under him."
“I know better than anyone else.”
Ryan said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, I guess so... He can’t leave you alive because you're incompetent, but if he just let you go, people will say later that he killed you because you're incompetent.”
"Yes. I was thinking about taking advantage of that, and then I thought of you. You're the incompetent guy who went to prison 12 years ago. You're my brother."
"Aha."
Ryan burst out laughing with a gasp.
“Could it be... that it was all your plan to leave it to me?”
"Yes. Father probably thought it was better to pass me off as my older brother's daughter than to kill me outright. Then, he'd just be taking care of his granddaughter all this time."
"You're right, I see. If you're the granddaughter, it's only natural that you'd be incompetent."
Yes. If I'm Ryan's daughter, it's not strange that I'm incompetent. Not all people with powers give birth to other people with powers.
'If that were the case, the number of people with special abilities would have increased to an absurd level.'
The blood that gives birth to those with this ability is passed down to only one person per generation. That person is called the "chosen one" and becomes the head of the Wassenberg family.
This ability is inherited only by direct descendants, even by a select few...
'It's a structure that forces Wassenberg to monopolize this ability.'
“Hmm.”
Ryan said, stroking his chin.
“You wouldn’t have said to your father with your own mouth, ‘Please kick me out like this,’ would you?”
“Brothet Richard helped me with that.”
“You used him as a messenger to convey the message to your father.”
"Well, the expression 'used' is a bit much. Richard is a kind person who worries a lot about me. Normally, if I awaken my powers and leave the castle, I'll never return, but Richard was worried about me, so he secretly visited me often..."
“Why are you talking for so long? So, you’re saying he was the easiest to use?”
“...”
Ryan suddenly chuckled, his head down. For a long time.
And he looked at me and said sharply.
“Is this your second life?”
Then, in just one second, without even giving me time to react.
“Just kidding~.”
He added with a shrug.
“So what do you want to do?”
"Yes?"
"You gritted your teeth and meticulously escaped from every nook and cranny of the house. Was escaping that damn house your only goal? Don't you have any other ambitions?"
Oh. I didn't know the conversation would go this far so easily.
But it was a gain.
“There is something I want to do!”
“What is it?”
“I want to stop my brothers and sisters from doing bad things.”
“Yes. Accepted.”
“...?”
What?
"Do what you want. I won't ask or question why you want to do it. If there's anything I can help with, just let me know."
“Really?”
“Yes. But promise me you won’t change your mind and go back to your father.”
"Of course it was a promise! If that were true, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble!"
Ryan, who had been laughing, grabbed the doorknob.
"Well, I'm off now. Revan's making a fuss about digging the backyard."
“Oh, yes!”
Ryan is leaving...
I secretly cheered at the unexpectedly huge income.
Click.
Ryan left Vania's room, leaned against the door, and thought quietly.
No matter how I look at it... doesn’t it seem like an old soul who has experienced everything is trapped in the body of a twelve-year-old?
Even though she was a genius, she was only amazing in her own field, and when he first met her, she was eleven years old, just like that.
Vania's mouth, which usually spoke without any idea of the extent of a twelve-year-old's thinking ability...
“It’s so scary.”
Of course, he has these doubts because he guessed that Vania could have about a hundred abilities.
“Damn it...”
Heavy silence...
The atmosphere was tense, as if it would explode at any moment, with everyone knowing each other's secrets but not speaking.
“Let’s eat.”
Revan opened a can of ham and placed a plate with a few slices of bread on it on the table.
And his throat was parched, so he drank some water first.
“I am not incompetent.”
“Phew!”
Ryan dropped a bombshell the moment he sat down. A startled Revan spurted water like a fountain, splashing his face.
"Crazy...."
But only Revan was surprised.
"I know."
Vania said calmly.
“Since when?”
Ryan asked, wiping the water from his face.
"Ever since Dad said you'd take revenge on the family. You wouldn't have been so confident about taking revenge when you had nothing. I was convinced of Dad's blessing when we caught the bear earlier."
“I think it’s something.”
“Instant death.”
In the middle, Revan stared blankly, his gaze shifting between the faces of the two siblings as they calmly continued their shocking conversation.
‘It seems the two of you have decided to speak openly...’
Maybe this is better.
“You know you can’t let your father catch you, right?”
Vania said quietly.
“I know. I absolutely can’t get caught. You know that if you hit me in the back of the head, you’re dead, right?”
“I know. I’m not bold enough to hit the back of the head of someone with instant death powers.”
Vania took something out of her sleeve and thrust it at Ryan.
“Please spare only the people listed there.”
A double-folded note.
Ryan unfolded it.
Richard Wassenberg
Christa Wassenberg
Alexander Wassenberg
“I have a half-brother who is three years older than me, a half-sister who is the same age as me, and a half-brother who is one year younger than me.”
“Huh, while my father was there, my younger siblings also got hit a lot.”
Ryan clicked his tongue and threw the note across the table.
“Why do you want to save them?”
“They’re good. They’re still young.”
“Will they continue to be good?”
“I don’t know. If they continue to live in that house, they might do something bad.”
"Yes?"
"So, before things get worse, Dad, please destroy our house. Since I'm here, Bless can train faster."
Ryan stared at Vania silently. The gaze directed at her could have been frightening, but Vania didn't avoid it.
"...good."
After a long time, Ryan spoke.
“Phew. Thank you.”
Although she spoke frankly, Vania must have been nervous inside, as she sighed and cleared her throat.
Only then did Revan open his mouth.
“I’m going to check it out...”
***
As I expected, Ryan played the right game. I felt relieved.
Now that I know his secret for sure, he's going to keep me by his side no matter what.
'I don't have any intention of running anyway.'
Now, I'm also on the straight and narrow. If Ryan tries to talk any further, I plan to confess everything except the fact that I've returned. That way, I can act more comfortably in the future.
“Let’s talk.”
...even a lion comes when I call it.
Ryan came into my room with a knock.
"I'm not pressuring you. I'm not threatening you to tell me. You can tell if you want, and you don't have to if you don't. Just don't lie."
Before asking the question, Ryan, who had laid out a very thick cushion, shook the note I had given him.
“Among you guys, is there anyone who helped you when you were kicked out?”
“Yes. My brother Richard.”
"Yeah. I figured that would be the case since he's the oldest. Does he also know you're not incompetent?"
"No. You don't have to worry. No one in our family, including Richard, knows my secret."
“Are you sure?”
"Yes. I won't lie. From now on, I'll tell you everything about how I left home."
“Yes. Go ahead.”
"I wanted to leave home, but the only way was to be kicked out as an incompetent person, so I decided to postpone it. But I felt like they wouldn't let me go quietly without killing me."
“...”
"Everyone outside the family knows I'm from Windsor Castle, where my father's illegitimate children live. So, they can't just dismiss me as an unrelated child, but since I happen to be incompetent... My father was at a loss as to what to do with me."
I shrugged and added.
"You know, Father, right? He pathologically hates it when it's revealed that someone incompetent has come from under him."
“I know better than anyone else.”
Ryan said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, I guess so... He can’t leave you alive because you're incompetent, but if he just let you go, people will say later that he killed you because you're incompetent.”
"Yes. I was thinking about taking advantage of that, and then I thought of you. You're the incompetent guy who went to prison 12 years ago. You're my brother."
"Aha."
Ryan burst out laughing with a gasp.
“Could it be... that it was all your plan to leave it to me?”
"Yes. Father probably thought it was better to pass me off as my older brother's daughter than to kill me outright. Then, he'd just be taking care of his granddaughter all this time."
"You're right, I see. If you're the granddaughter, it's only natural that you'd be incompetent."
Yes. If I'm Ryan's daughter, it's not strange that I'm incompetent. Not all people with powers give birth to other people with powers.
'If that were the case, the number of people with special abilities would have increased to an absurd level.'
The blood that gives birth to those with this ability is passed down to only one person per generation. That person is called the "chosen one" and becomes the head of the Wassenberg family.
This ability is inherited only by direct descendants, even by a select few...
'It's a structure that forces Wassenberg to monopolize this ability.'
“Hmm.”
Ryan said, stroking his chin.
“You wouldn’t have said to your father with your own mouth, ‘Please kick me out like this,’ would you?”
“Brothet Richard helped me with that.”
“You used him as a messenger to convey the message to your father.”
"Well, the expression 'used' is a bit much. Richard is a kind person who worries a lot about me. Normally, if I awaken my powers and leave the castle, I'll never return, but Richard was worried about me, so he secretly visited me often..."
“Why are you talking for so long? So, you’re saying he was the easiest to use?”
“...”
Ryan suddenly chuckled, his head down. For a long time.
And he looked at me and said sharply.
“Is this your second life?”
Then, in just one second, without even giving me time to react.
“Just kidding~.”
He added with a shrug.
“So what do you want to do?”
"Yes?"
"You gritted your teeth and meticulously escaped from every nook and cranny of the house. Was escaping that damn house your only goal? Don't you have any other ambitions?"
Oh. I didn't know the conversation would go this far so easily.
But it was a gain.
“There is something I want to do!”
“What is it?”
“I want to stop my brothers and sisters from doing bad things.”
“Yes. Accepted.”
“...?”
What?
"Do what you want. I won't ask or question why you want to do it. If there's anything I can help with, just let me know."
“Really?”
“Yes. But promise me you won’t change your mind and go back to your father.”
"Of course it was a promise! If that were true, I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble!"
Ryan, who had been laughing, grabbed the doorknob.
"Well, I'm off now. Revan's making a fuss about digging the backyard."
“Oh, yes!”
Ryan is leaving...
I secretly cheered at the unexpectedly huge income.
***
Click.
Ryan left Vania's room, leaned against the door, and thought quietly.
No matter how I look at it... doesn’t it seem like an old soul who has experienced everything is trapped in the body of a twelve-year-old?
Even though she was a genius, she was only amazing in her own field, and when he first met her, she was eleven years old, just like that.
Vania's mouth, which usually spoke without any idea of the extent of a twelve-year-old's thinking ability...
“It’s so scary.”
Of course, he has these doubts because he guessed that Vania could have about a hundred abilities.
“Damn it...”
He's so scared he can't help but swear.
“Is this your second life?”
That thing he said earlier.
He wasn't kidding…...
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