Chapter 6
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How to Survive as the Villain's Younger Sister
Episode 6
No.
I was overthinking again.
The conclusion had already been reached.
Alexis swept away her wandering thoughts and opened her mouth.
"Cyrilia certainly isn't intelligent."
At Alexis's words, Maran and Dain's eyes widened in shock.
Alexis kept her distance from her younger sister, yet she had never spoken ill of her before.
For her to speak such criticism now was extraordinary.
Something must have happened when they were alone together behind that tree earlier.
"What did the youngest lady say to you?"
Dain asked carefully.
Alexis nodded.
"She said she was on my side, that she would protect me."
At the unexpected words, Dain's mouth fell open, and Maran burst into laughter.
"Protect whom? How presumptuous! With those round cheeks, she looks like she'd cry 'waah!' if you pinched her even once!"
Recalling what had just happened, Alexis let out a hollow laugh as well.
The sight of that tiny child, barely a handful, clenching her small fists and speaking with such determination was utterly absurd.
Unaware of what fate awaited her.
"It's truly strange. Truly different."
Alexis murmured to herself.
This hadn't happened during the second regression.
Alexis was now living her third life.
In her first life, she had died at Cyrilia's hands.
In her second life, she had killed Cyrilia.
It was a terrible, exhausting connection.
But she had completed her revenge, and she thought it was finally over.
Yet—
'Why did I regress again?'
What was even stranger was Cyrilia.
She had become a different child than in the previous two lives.
From infancy, when her cheeks were rosy as peaches, she would smile brightly whenever she saw me.
Once she began to walk, she followed me around like a squirrel.
'As if she actually liked me.'
That couldn't be.
It simply couldn't be.
Why? How could it be?
'She must be employing a different strategy than in her previous lives.'
After many nights of deliberation, Alexis reached her conclusion.
'But not this time. I won't be betrayed because I refuse to trust.'
Had I not returned to this life, I might have fallen completely for that adorable facade.
Yet even in this lifetime, an unbridgeable chasm existed between Alexis and Cyrilia.
Cyrilia was still surrounded by those desperate to devour Alexis whole.
No matter how much Cyrilia pretended otherwise, she was a child raised in their embrace.
'The moment I let my guard down, I'll be the one who dies.'
Alexis steeled herself.
Then Maran's excited voice reached her ears.
"That wretch claiming she'd protect the Young Lady? Dreiny must have put her up to it. He's trying to deceive you."
"I'm not deceived."
"But it's infuriating. The way he schemed to attack the Young Lady at the Funeral Hall..."
"So Maran, what would you have me do?"
Alexis fixed Maran with an unwavering stare.
Maran clenched his fists like stone as he spoke.
"Eliminate her quickly. Without Cyrilia, Dreiny will lose his power."
He spoke as though awaiting my command at that very moment.
"My thinking differs."
That was when Dain stepped forward.
"Dreiny surely has a backer. We can use the youngest lady to uncover who that backer is before disposing of her."
"So you're saying we should keep her alive because she still has value."
"Yes."
Maran objected to this.
"It's better to cut out the root of trouble quickly. We can discover the backer through other means."
Alexis, who had been pondering, spoke.
"Very well. For now, Dain will surveil Cyrilia."
I had sided with Dain.
"Dain is too soft. I should be the one conducting surveillance."
Maran, his pride wounded, insisted stubbornly.
"I don't see it that way."
But Alexis flatly refused.
Maran's face twisted, though I pretended not to notice.
Dain, despite his appearance, was a steadfast person—trustworthy.
And above all, in my previous life, I had used Maran's hands to kill Cyrilia.
For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to entrust that child to the one who had murdered her.
* * *
"Keep your mouth shut. If you spout useless nonsense like you did at the funeral, you'll taste the whip!"
Dreiny hissed menacingly.
'So he's already abandoned the role of trustworthy uncle.'
He really has no patience.
'He's exactly like Julia!'
I concealed my true thoughts and nodded obediently.
Dreiny grasped my small hand without gentleness and pulled me into the Conference Hall.
It was a meeting concerning the suddenly vacant position of house patriarch.
Upon entering the Conference Hall, my eyes widened in astonishment.
'Goodness. I've never seen so many people gathered in this hall before.'
The retainers of the Parkision Ducal House and Jenin, the Duke's brother.
Even the elders who had been relegated to obscurity in the back chambers had taken their seats.
With the Duke and Duchess dead and only underage daughters remaining.
They had come forth, viewing Alexis and me as insignificant, hoping to claim a position for themselves.
'So many hyenas circling the Parkision House.'
It sent a chill down my spine.
Dreiny took the seat of honor and positioned me beside him.
Given my small frame, the chair was too low and the table too high.
As a result, only my eyes peeked above the table's edge.
Sitting directly across from me was Alexis.
I waved at her innocently.
She narrowed her eyes briefly, then turned her gaze away.
"Now that everyone is seated, let us begin the meeting."
Roel, who presided over the meeting, spoke.
He was the administrator most favored by the Parkision Duke.
Thus, he had handled most of the Duke's administrative duties in his stead.
Even noble-born retainers did not dare treat Roel disrespectfully.
Despite having every reason to be arrogant, Roel remained humble.
As a result, he enjoyed great trust among the domain's people.
'There were even rumors that people wished Roel had been Duke instead of the deceased one.'
Yet whenever he heard such talk, Roel would wave it away.
Perhaps sensing my fixed gaze, Roel smiled kindly at me.
'What a deceptively innocent appearance.'
In truth, Roel had also conspired with Julia to deceive the Duke.
It was at that very moment.
"Before we proceed, there is something I must announce."
Someone raised his hand and spoke out.
It was Billedorf, a Baron and retainer of the Parkision Ducal House.
Roel spoke firmly.
"Today's meeting is of great importance. That matter can wait until next time...."
"The Duke, in his lifetime, left me with a final testament. Specifically, a testament concerning the succession to the position of house patriarch following his death."
At Billedorf's words, the Conference Hall fell silent.
Several cast suspicious glances.
Billedorf continued his statement.
"As you all know, I have managed the Parkision Library. Among my duties was the care of the house's important documents."
"Then it's hardly surprising that His Grace left a will with Baron Billedorf."
Dreiny interjected.
Baron Billedorf was a man who had received substantial bribes from him.
So he had calculated that the will favorable to Alexis would never be made public.
"His Grace leaving a will is merely the Baron's claim!"
As everyone fell silent, Knight Commander Maran raised his voice.
Baron Billedorf, who had been retrieving the will, cried out indignantly.
"What would a man who swings a sword know about documents? If you doubt it, then verify its authenticity!"
Baron Billedorf handed the will to Roel.
Roel, who had examined the will carefully, spoke.
"The handwriting, the ink used, the paper, and the family seal impressed upon it—all of it matches His Grace's."
"Is that so? Then read the will at once!"
"What does it say? Who is named as the head of the household?"
The retainers and elders spoke.
Yet Roel, having read the will first, wore a bewildered expression.
He began to read the will in a trembling voice.
"'Should I pass away before my children come of age, I hereby appoint a guardian to serve as regent in their stead.'"
At the will's contents, Dreiny's lips curved into a smirk.
Meanwhile, Alexis showed no surprise whatsoever.
Even the hot-tempered Maran remained unexcited, his expression reading, 'I knew it would be this way.'
"Read the rest quickly!"
"So whom did he appoint as guardian?"
The retainers and elders pressed Roel.
Hope was written plainly across their faces.
"Pathetic fools. The guardian is obviously me."
Dreiny murmured softly, just loud enough for me to hear.
Roel hesitated before speaking.
"'The guardian shall be my most trusted blood brother, Jenin Parkision.'"
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