Chapter 14: The Beginning of Leon’s Suffering.

Translator: Soafp

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[PoV Leon]

“How could this happen……”

　After the events of today, the world looked decidedly different to me.

　My father and mother’s execution had been confirmed by Giorg, and my own future had been decided. I was allowed to marry Fiona, but that was the opposite of the happiness that would be announced after my father and mother’s execution.

　As the son of a condemned man, I would certainly not be accepted in aristocratic society.

　I would no longer be able to live as a nobleman.

　The despair is crushing me.

This is because my future has become depressing. I have discovered the true identity of my brother Giorg, whom I had looked down upon and ridiculed until now.

　It was five years ago that I met Giorg, the son of my father’s ex-wife, Elphil. Giorg had just lost his mother, and his expression was dark, but I remember the anger in his eyes.

　At the time, I thought he was blaming him for his lack of decency for remarrying when his mother had just died.

　But today I found out that was not the case.

　He wanted to destroy us, the people who had killed his mother. I had been foolish enough to think of him as a miserable man who had been abandoned by his own father, without realizing it.

　Originally, the servants of the Zafing family had also put us before Giorg and disregarded him. But today, Giorg told me that this was his order.

　That’s impossible. He was only eleven years old, and it was insane that he would do such a thing to catch us off guard and make it easier to gather evidence.

　Our family had fallen for it. We were coasting in our sleep when the monster was right beside us, sharpening its fangs.

The servants my mother had brought in from Viscount Edior’s house had the same attitude, mistakenly believing that they were superior to those who had originally served the Zafing family under the authority of my father and mother, and blatantly looking down on him.

“Leon, get your a*s up.”

　Roy threw his voice at me with no attempt to hide his contempt.

“YOU LITT…..No, I understand.”

　I was about to shout out in anger, but the look in Roy’s eyes made it impossible for me to say anything. Because like Giorg, his eyes shot through me like garbage.

　My neck was throbbing from being struck by Giorg earlier. I thought my head had fallen off, even though the sound was terrible but the pain was not so bad.

“After five years, you finally understand your place in the world.”

　Roy looked at the still stunned Count of Serenity and his family, but said nothing. My gaze crossed with Fiona’s for a moment, but I couldn’t call out to her.

　As Roy urged me to leave the reception room, I noticed that there were two kinds of gazes that pierced me. One was anxiety, from my mother’s maidservants, the ones who had mocked the Zafings. The other was hatred. This was from the original servants of House Zafing.

“Leon-sama, what will happen to us now?”

“Will we be forced to leave?”

　When the maids found me, they surrounded me with anxiety and hurled words at me.

“Everyone, what you say to Leon will not help.”

　The head maid, Federica, said in a cold voice. She is a maidservant from a family that has been in the service of the Zafing family for generations, and her son Siris is also in the service of the Zafing family.

“Shut up!! You have nothing to do with this!!”

“That’s right!! You old hag, stay out of this!!”

　I was about to call out to the maids to stop them when I saw their anger towards Federica. However, before I could, Federica approached the maidservants, grabbed them by the neck and lifted them up. It was a terrifying feat of strength. Normally, it is impossible to lift a person with one hand. And Federica is lifting them both at the same time.

“Ga….”

“Gaha……”

　They are lifted up by Federica, and their eyes are black and white. The other maids were unable to stop Federica’s actions. They were too busy thinking about what had happened to them.

“Well then….Since Giorg-sama was going to talk to me about your progress, I thought about leaving it behind, but it’s no fun to be taken advantage of forever.”

　The two maidservants sat down as Federica let go of her hand that was holding them up.

“Gohogoho!!’

“Gehogeho!!”

　The two maidens coughed and wept.

“Are you ready to listen to me now?”

“Hiiii!!”

　Federica then stepped on the back of the maidservant’s hand and said in a very cold voice.

“What is your answer?”

“Y-Yes!!”

　The maids immediately responded to Federica’s question. The attitudes of the past had already been renewed.

“The previous Marquis, Ghazel, and his wife, Armada, were impeached for assassinating the former Marquis Elphil. From now on, the Zafing family will be decided by Giorg-sama. He will also decide what to do with you.”

　Federica looked around at the maidservants and then turned her gaze to me.

“Leon has no part in the decision-making process of the Zafing family. There is no authority to begin with. Everything is for Giorg-sama to decide.”

“……”

“Giorg-sama will decide what to do with you based on your actions thus far.”

　The maidens paled when they heard Federica’s words. Based on our past actions, I could see how the decision would be made.

“I’m not going to kill you because Giorg-sama has found a use in you. You should be grateful that the others don’t want to kill you either, but that’s because of Giorg-sama. But if you’re useless, I’ll get rid of you. I’ll at least give you the choice of floating in the river or being buried in the mountains.”

Federica’s words made me nod my head. Federica took one look at me and went on her way.

　The rest of the maids went pale and slumped down. I also paled as I looked around and felt the gazes of those who had served the Marquis of Zafing, and I began to sweat.

　I realized in an instant that I was in enemy territory…… no, I was weak prey thrown into a predator’s cage.

“How could …… this happen?”

　There was no one to answer my words.

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