Chapter 4

Hadenberg

The next day, I woke up early in the morning.

Even this ceiling looks beautiful. I smiled contentedly.

‘I’ll show you the first day of a rebel.’

I, Shuneria Kolhart, planned to transition from the illegitimate child of the ducal family to its rebel starting today.

Click-

The door opened without a knock. A maid with familiar brown hair entered.

It was Mary, who had lied to me last time, saying that Saren and the Duke wanted me to come down to the dining room.

She was perfect for the first target. I smiled meaningfully to myself.

“Get up.”

Mary spat out.

It was informal speech that typical maids wouldn’t dare use, but I was an illegitimate child. One who was openly ignored and abused by the Duke.

Naturally, the maids treated me that way too.

I hadn’t realized how regretful it would be when I first heard the informal speech and absentmindedly replied, ‘…Yes?’ in formal speech.

‘Maybe that incident made her think I was intimidated by her, but it seems she’s become more brazen.’

Mary didn’t groom me and just muttered to herself.

“Why on earth do I have to serve something like you as my lady, not Lady Saren… You can’t even dress yourself properly and call yourself a lady… Oh, look at the dust.”

I lay there, staring at her.

Mary, who was roughly organizing the bookshelf, noticed my gaze and turned around.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting up?”

“I am up. Are your eyes just for decoration?”

“What?”

“If someone is talking, they’re either up or dead, right? And I was already up before you said anything.”

It’s more infuriating to insult someone with a smile. As I pointed things out calmly, Mary blinked blankly, then snorted.

“Did you lose your mind after being hit by the Duke yesterday? You’re suddenly so bold.”

“Saren said the same thing. You two are on the same level when it comes to conversation.”

“Are you insulting Lady Saren now?!”

“Real sisters grow up hitting each other with pillows. This much is mild.”

Though we’re not real sisters. I swallowed my words and got up.

Unlike my indifferent self, Mary seemed genuinely angry, fuming.

“Have you really lost your mind? Did you forget who you are?”

“I’m the Duke’s illegitimate child. Half his blood, right?”

“Do you think being a daughter makes you the same? You’re different from Lady Saren. She’s the daughter of a noble lady, and you’re a motherless…”

“Are your ears blocked? My father is that bastard, so what?”

As if anyone is good.

The past me who threw Shuneria into this situation, reflect on yourself again.

Mary looked at me as if I were insane, perhaps not expecting me to insult even the Duke.

“Do you get it now? The Duke is my dad, and I’m his daughter.”

“You’re not a daughter…”

“Whether I’m an illegitimate child or adopted, I’m not in a position to hear such words from you.”

An illegitimate child is still a lady. Having the Kolhart name made that clear.

Even if my existence wasn’t known in social circles, it didn’t mean a maid could look down on me.

‘That’s why I was despised even by them…’

I glanced at Mary. Perhaps she was finally grasping the situation, clenching her fists tightly.

I got up from the bed and waved my hand dismissively.

“If you understand, could you leave? And don’t fabricate orders with lies like last time.”

“Fabricate…!”

“Should I change it to impersonate?”

I tilted my head slightly. Mary’s face turned pale.

Fabricating orders could get you beaten, but impersonation was a serious crime. Especially for a mere maid.

‘This dirty hierarchical society.’

I didn’t like it, but well. If I followed only the rules of reality, I’d be the first to get beaten to death. To live without trouble, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

I smiled brightly at Mary, who couldn’t even speak, and added one last thing.

“If you don’t like it, just shut up and leave. If you do it again, I’ll really tell the Duke.”

“Ah, okay…”

“Talking informally?”

“……Yes…”

Formal speech is such a precious thing.

Feeling happiness in such trivial things was somewhat disheartening, but the joy was separate.

Mary left the room with the first formal speech I’d ever heard. Unlike her initial attitude, she seemed deflated, which felt quite good.

‘Surprisingly, I might have a knack for this.’

First time realizing this in 25 years of life.

I giggled at the discovery of a new talent and opened the closet. Inside, there were only a few dresses—plain to the point of being shabby—hanging there.

‘Damn, even a modern dress would be fancier than this…’

It’s not about sophistication; it’s a matter of capital, you guys.

‘In a ducal house, having a dress without even a cubic zirconia, let alone jewels, is ridiculous.’

I grumbled at the absurd reality and changed clothes. Still, it seemed better than Saren’s dresses, which looked like they might have crushed her under the jewels.

Of course, I would welcome such a crushing.

I smiled broadly and energetically opened the door to leave the room.

❖ ❖ ❖

“What are you looking at? First time seeing someone walk?”

I glared at the servants who looked at me strangely as I proudly strode down the hallway and headed to the library.

Despite appearances, the Kolhart ducal family was a founding family of the Ruspertu Empire.

In short, it meant their prestige and reputation were tremendous. Having existed for such a long time, the library in the mansion boasted a scale that rivaled most libraries.

As a result, the door was so heavy that it was difficult to open without someone helping from the side.

Clunk-

“Ugh, the door is so damn heavy…!”

As soon as I hurriedly entered, the door closed with a loud noise.

“Alright. Let’s find it as quickly as possible.”

Having recently possessed this body, I knew nothing. Until recently, I was half out of my mind, but after meeting Isaac and Retilia, my purpose became clear.

‘They definitely said Hadenberg.’

If they owned a castle, it would be a power comparable to most families. Then there would automatically be a book about it in this library.

As I scanned the ‘H’ section, the word I was looking for caught my eye.

“Here it is.”

The hard spine was embossed with the elegant gold lettering of ‘Hadenberg.’ I pulled out the book, which was neither thick nor thin, and settled down to read it.

“Isaac Hadenberg…”

A familiar name was at the top of the table of contents. And below it, there were four more names. I knew Retilia, and then…

‘Ethan, Hazen, Nobel…?’

They were names I wasn’t unfamiliar with. I reflexively covered my mouth.

Why are these names coming up here?

Isaac and Retilia were shocking enough, but these three were doubly so.

They were the remaining three main characters. Even among the various personalities, these were the ones who are unpredictable (though all were like that), making them polar opposites to the rational and cold Isaac.

‘Even if something has changed, all three of them together?’

In shock, I quickly read through the explanation about the Hadenberg family.

[Hadenberg has a history distinct from traditional noble families. It is not a lineage that has been passed down, but a name created by the five members of the family themselves, and they are the only Hadenbergs in the Empire. There is no set head of the family, but the representative is Retilia Hadenberg, and the five of them are sworn siblings…]

‘Crazy.’

Among the many differences from the original, one word I couldn’t overlook stuck in my mind.

‘Sworn siblings?!’

The five of them, who were sworn enemies, being sworn siblings.

The original story, where all five were sharpening knives against each other, flashed before my eyes like a panorama. And the smiling faces of Isaac and Retilia from yesterday too.

‘I, I…’

Cold sweat started to trickle down.

‘What kind of relationship have I gotten involved in?’

The descriptions of each of their abilities that followed didn’t even register. They wouldn’t be much different from what I knew.

Still, just in case, I tried to regain my composure and read again when it happened.

“Are my eyes deceiving me?”

A voice as captivating as the vividly shining purple eyes.

It was Saren’s voice.

Startled, I turned around to see Saren looking down at me with her arms crossed, and a line of maids behind her.

“Who allowed this thing to enter the library?”

“I-I’m sorry, Miss. I’ll immediately reprimand everyone nearby!”

“Of course. The library, of all places…”

Her cold eyes turned to me and the word ‘Hadenberg’ on the book in my hands.

“You.”

Saren bit her lip.

“Who do you think you are to be reading a book like that?”

Her voice was filled with anger.

Ah, damn. I cursed inwardly. This was going to be troublesome.

Among the maids behind Saren was Mary.

Ugh, her again. Her familiar brown hair made me feel weary.

“Not only did you sneak in here. But a book about Hadenberg.”

“……”

“Have you truly gone mad since yesterday?”

Saren’s beautiful face twisted mercilessly.

Seriously, why make such a fuss over one book. I looked at her with cold eyes.

‘It’s not the original Saren with an explosive personality, but a modern person inside…’

The natural wickedness that a typical modern person wouldn’t dare to exhibit was impressive. Why, of all people, did I possess someone like this? It was a miraculous probability.

Hmm, my gaze must have become very insolent. Saren’s eyebrows twitched.

“I’m asking you. Are you ignoring me?”

“I thought you were talking to yourself.”

“What?”

“I just didn’t feel the need to respond.”

This could be a response in a normal conversation.

“Need? You feel the need to answer my question?”

I thought I had come up with a better answer, but apparently not.

Saren roughly snatched the book from my hands and brandished it threateningly.

She growled, enunciating each word.

“Remember this clearly. This is not a book for the likes of you to read.”

“Is it Excalibur or something? What qualifications?”

“Hah! It’s about dignity. The ability and qualities that come with bloodline. And you’re not even an ability user, unlike me.”

She snorted and closed the book with a loud snap.

‘Dignity, my as$… What nonsense.’

And she’s not even awakened yet.

I had written her as an ability user who manipulates ‘ice’ and awakened her in the later part, so she would have the ability.

“Bloodline and dignity…”

I looked Saren up and down.

“Not really?”

“You…!”

Saren gritted her teeth. As soon as I realized her fierce purple eyes were fixed on me, her hand swung up into the air.

Smack-

“……!”

And grabbing that hand was something I did simultaneously.

Saren’s eyes widened in surprise. Mary and the other maids screamed in shock.

“Lady Saren!”

“Your hand is so light? You’re always swinging it around.”

“Let go of me! Whose body do you think you’re touching…!”

“Whose body? It’s someone who shares half the same blood with me.”