Chapter 7
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
How to Survive as the Villain's Younger Sister
Episode 7
"Jenin holds equal authority as I do as Duke, and no one may challenge that authority."
Duke Parkision had appointed his younger brother as regent.
Everyone struggled to conceal their shock.
It was entirely unexpected.
The Duke had never been particularly close to his fraternal twin brother.
Of course, considering bloodline, Jenin was the most fitting person to assume the regency.
Yet the person in question, Jenin himself, sat with his eyes closed.
He appeared lost in deep contemplation.
"Ah, Father has appointed me regent..."
It was Roel who broke the silence.
He seemed utterly astonished.
Dreiny spoke next.
"B-but Archbishop Jenin, surely you're already occupied with the Diocese's affairs? If I were to shoulder some of the burden..."
"I shall follow my brother's will."
Jenin spoke.
Dreiny froze mid-gesture.
"Governing the Parkision Dukedom alone would be difficult, but my son will assist me."
Jenin looked toward Roel.
Roel nodded in acknowledgment.
That was when it happened.
The Conference Hall door opened and someone entered.
It was Dain Bartal, Alexis's trusted aide.
"Dain, we're in the middle of a meeting. Please wait outside for a moment."
"That won't be necessary. I was summoned."
Roel attempted to dismiss Dain.
Then Maran blocked his path.
"Dain, why are you so late? With the young lady's coming-of-age ceremony just a month away, did you see how disgusting it was watching them vie for control of the family?"
Maran spoke with biting sarcasm.
Everyone was taken aback by such blunt words.
I sensed it immediately.
'That scene from the original story!'
In the original, it's revealed right after this that the will had been forged.
Alexis, who remembers her past life, had Dain bring her the forger who altered the will.
'Then I don't need to intervene myself, do I?'
Phew, what a relief.
I was needlessly anxious.
As I relaxed, I felt something was amiss.
Dain stood alone, his face flushed crimson as he struggled to steady his breathing.
Alexis's complexion had turned ashen as well.
"Where is the will's ghostwriter?"
Maran asked the very question that had been nagging at me.
Dain held out a bloodstained piece of fabric.
"By the time I arrived, he was already dead."
"What? What are you saying? Surely there was evidence left behind?"
"The entire house burned down..."
Dain spoke with a somber tone.
'This isn't something that happened in the original story.'
What on earth was going on?
Now that I thought about it, the Duke and Duchess had died earlier than in the original narrative as well.
It meant that everything that followed could change without limit.
"What nonsense are you two spouting? Did I forge His Grace's will?"
Baron Billedorf shouted.
"You forged it and disposed of the ghostwriter!"
"Can you take responsibility for those words? Without any evidence!"
Maran and Baron Billedorf argued fiercely.
Jenin, who had been watching them, fixed a cold glare upon Alexis.
"Alexis. I understand that both Maran and Dain are your close associates. You will take responsibility for their insults and disturbances toward those in this Conference Hall."
"..."
"I command it as regent."
His tone was insufferably arrogant.
Alexis did not respond.
But I felt my rage ignite—my fists trembling with fury.
The one who had forged the will and made Baron Billedorf bring it to him.
That was none other than Jenin's son, Roel Parkision.
'Jenin knew it all along.'
Their scheme was this:
While serving as regent, frame Alexis and drive her out.
Use the foolish Cyrilia as needed, then discard her.
Transfer the dukedom to Roel Parkision.
'I won't let that happen.'
I opened my inventory.
A translucent inventory window visible only to me materialized before my eyes.
The very inventory whose [Lock] had been released since yesterday.
Of course, the items were usable as well.
'Wow, I can actually use items. Even seeing it again, I can hardly believe it.'
My heart raced with anticipation.
Conveniently, the inventory contained an item perfectly suited for this situation.
[Hermes' Letter (Legendary)]
The ability to use the messenger powers of Hermes, the herald of the gods.
1. Instantly deliver messages anywhere
2. Discern the truth of a message
(Each can be used only once)
An item that can be used only a single time.
Without hesitation, I chose '2. Discern the truth of a message'.
"!"
The moment I applied the item, the contents of the will became crystal clear before my eyes.
My seat was right beside Roel.
But the will lay face-down on the table.
Yet I could see its contents perfectly.
And furthermore—
[Hermes' Verification Results]
A forged document.
A fake will written by ghostwriter Bilson, commissioned by Roel Parkision.
Notable detail: Written using ordinary Polenum ink rather than the Imperial Polenum X ink that Duke Parkision typically used.
'Just as I suspected—it's a fake will!'
My biological father, Duke Parkision, was quite the pretentious type.
His domain was crumbling, yet he spared no expense in maintaining his handsome appearance and flaunting his refined tastes.
Using Imperial Polenum X ink was precisely for that reason.
While ordinary Polenum was expensive even as a premium ink, Polenum X couldn't be obtained easily regardless of wealth.
'That's why he paid extra and purchased it through back channels to use it.'
But true to its pretentious nature, Polenum X appeared no different from ordinary Polenum ink to the naked eye.
Moreover, only a select few knew the difference.
Knowing the difference itself was proof of 'refined taste'.
Because of this, he wouldn't reveal it to just anyone.
In the original work, it was mentioned only in passing once.
'Then that means....'
"Ugh, I'm so bored."
I pretended to be at a loss for entertainment and reached toward the candelabra decorated on the table.
A small candle was lit in the candelabra.
I played with the candelabra, then pretended to drop it, rolling it toward the will.
Soon the will caught fire.
"Oh!"
"The will!"
Alarmed, Roel poured the water from his glass onto the will.
"Is the will all right?"
"Cyrilia, what are you doing!"
Dreiny shrieked at me.
"I'm sorry! Please don't hit me!"
I cowered, feigning fear.
The expressions of those around me grew subtly complicated.
Don't hit me.
So Dreiny struck Cyrilia on a regular basis?
Regardless of their uncle-niece relationship, Cyrilia was the Duke's blood.
Yet he always pretended to be a doting uncle in public.
Their thoughts were written plainly across their faces.
Dreiny, belatedly coming to his senses, flushed crimson.
Roel intervened to stop him.
"Please do not reproach yourself so harshly. The will is perfectly intact—only the edges are slightly singed, and the ink has merely smudged a little."
Roel flourished the will before the assembled crowd, displaying it as though to prove his point.
His words held true.
The will bore only slight charring along its edges.
Though some characters had faded, the contents remained entirely legible.
"Th-that's a relief, isn't it? I mean, I never lose my temper with Cyrilia ordinarily—I was simply startled...."
"There is no need for concern. His Grace typically uses a premium ink called Polenom, which does not smudge easily."
The retainers relaxed at Roel's words.
"Ah yes, so he does use that ink."
"As expected of Roel. There is nothing about His Grace that escapes your knowledge."
"Not at all. It is merely something I have come to know naturally as His Grace's closest aide."
Roel spoke with false modesty, yet could not conceal his smug smile.
It was then.
"The ink is indeed smudged."
Alexis, who had been observing the situation with cold detachment, opened her mouth.
"Father's ink does not smudge even when touched by water. Instead, the characters change to a golden hue."
Alexis gazed at the will, where the black ink had spread unbecomingly, and let out a soft laugh.
"This is not Father's will."
Alexis rose from her seat and walked toward Roel.
Roel instinctively stepped backward.
Alexis snatched the will from his hands.
"My lady! What is the meaning of this!"
Roel, belatedly regaining his composure, attempted to retrieve the will.
Dain then leveled his sword at him.
Jenin, enraged at the sight, cried out.
"A mere knight dares raise a blade against my son? By the authority of the Regency, I shall break both your arms and cast you out from your house!"
"You possess no such authority, Bishop."
Alexis spoke coldly.
"What?"
>"It seems you were not close enough to Father to know this. The ink Father uses does not smudge even when wet. Instead, the characters turn golden."
"Where in this world does such ink exist!"
"It's called Polenum X. It's an ink used secretly by the Imperial Palace. The golden letters that appear when water is poured on it are absolutely exquisite, so it's not shared with just anyone."
This was why the vain imperial family members and Kanan favored Polenum X.
"I've... I've never even heard of it!"
"It's a form of 'refined taste' by which the Imperial Palace distinguishes itself from ordinary nobility. Even my father barely managed to obtain it for his use. Since even nobles are largely unaware of it, I can certainly understand why someone who isn't even a noble—a Archbishop—would be ignorant of it."
Alexis spoke in a courteous tone.
Yet the content was utterly cutting.
Jenin's face flushed crimson.
'Alexis experienced everything in her first life. Through that process, she learned about Polenum X. The fact that her biological father used that ink as well.'
"I have never heard that His Grace the Duke used such an ink."
Roel spoke, trembling slightly.
"If what the young lady says is true, I who served as the Duke's proxy in his duties could not possibly be unaware of it."
The listeners nodded as though his logic was sound.
Alexis countered with a scoff.
"My father gave orders to his administrators—he did not forge friendships or share his daily life with them. Do you truly not understand that distinction?"
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org