Gilar Marquis pressed his ear anxiously against the door.

“There’s a commotion... Could the Duke have returned?”

“......”

Ereka bit her nails sharply.

‘Have we delayed too long?’

If the Duke has arrived, it’s dangerous.

An emergency order will be issued, summoning all the mages of the Mage Tower.

No matter how much the Shilui can consume mana, if the massive mana stones owned by Astra are poured out...

‘Even that mana won’t be fully consumed.’

If the direct troops move, the Shilui might be wiped out.

Her Shilui were created by human hands, even if restored ancient monsters.

They do not possess the transcendent power of true Shilui.

‘What about Erilot Astra?’

It would be easier to frame if that girl died.

“Ereka...!”

“......”

“Shouldn’t you run away even now?!”

The sound of biting nails grew faster.

Only after tasting a bitter metallic flavor did Ereka look at Marquis Gilar.

“I can’t go.”

“But!”

“One step closer and I could receive kin education... I could prove I’m more capable than Erilot...”

“Ereka?”

“Everyone would mock me. No way. Absolutely not. I hate it...”

Since birth, she had been praised by those around her.

“Two blessings? That’s amazing!”

“Such radiant blonde hair. Gilar father and daughter should have been born at Astra main house! Ha ha!”

“Ereka Gilar? Yes, I’ve heard she’s terrifyingly smart.”

“Talent, wisdom, appearance. Nothing childish about her!”

Everyone exalted her as special, and she believed herself the most outstanding in the world.

...Until she entered the 12th tower.

“I entered the 12th tower at age four. My father’s acquaintances say I was the youngest ever.”

“Really? But Erilot was in the 12th tower since she was a baby who couldn’t even speak! Right?”

“That’s because she was abandoned with nowhere to go!”

“But they said she was special. She closed the Grand Astronomical Gate and manifested a blessing─”

“She’s not special, she’s a mutant!”

“No, they said it was cool. The Duke recognized her at age three, didn’t he?”

What is a mutant anyway?

‘Why did a mutant steal the title of youngest 12th tower entrant that I deserved?’

A dirty bloodline with nowhere to go.

Everyone was foolish.

“Did you hear?! Erilot awakened the blessing!”

“Blessing to tame monsters? Wow─!”

What is monster taming anyway?

What’s so great about a blessing that just lets you tame monsters, that they raise that girl so high?

Her parent was a lowly commoner, a dirty bloodline.

‘I’m the one who should have been praised.’

I, with special blessings and all combat skills.

Even wise and beautiful...

“When will the main house portraits for this year be made? Ah, I wonder how much the beautiful main house members have grown. Especially Erilot, called ‘The Rose of Astra.’”

“Well, I don’t know if she’s really that beautiful.”

“Huh?”

“She’s the daughter of Daymond, the most handsome man in Astra. Just that much and I was disappointed.”

She just had a beautiful father.

A grandfather who was a Duke.

‘I’m the one who was born with nothing and still this outstanding, so why does no one recognize it?’

People only see the surface.

When I thought to change my life, an opportunity came.

A few months ago, my drunken father told me about the Mage Tower’s work.

“They make monsters at the Mage Tower?”

“Shh, shh. It’s a secret. A tremendous secret even the Duke doesn’t know...!”

My father, heavily drunk, laughed.

“When Noarizen died, that person entrusted me with the experiments he was conducting. You should have seen Baron Eilots trembling...”

“Baron Eilots?”

“The one who stole Lysian Astra’s magic books. You wouldn’t know how arrogant he is.”

“...But is it okay to create monsters? Artificial life is taboo. What if it gets exposed─”

“Of course not. That’s why it’s hard to find test subjects.”

They said human blood was needed to make monsters.

Artificial monsters regard the one who gave blood as their true parent.

“So they’re looking for someone who can control monsters?”

“Yes, but that’s hard.”

“Why?”

“A Delta (δ) type serum is needed. And etoroxin must not be contaminated... Ah, it’s probably too complicated for you. Simply put, they need a ‘child under seventeen with a blessing.’”

“......”

“But which noble parent would give their child for such an experiment? Tsk, fools. If they just gave a kid, they’d gain enormous power.”

“Power, huh...”

“That person plans to fabricate that the child who became the monster’s mother has the new blessing.”

“......”

“Doing experiments outside the Mage Tower is more convenient for them─”

“What if I do it?”

“W-what!? B-but they said if you slip up, the monster might eat you...”

“Even a dirty blood like Erilot Astra can tame monsters; why can’t I?”

So I joined the experiment.

The experiment itself was very simple.

Just give some blood and show your face when the monster is born.

I was so happy when the swamp fairy followed me after the experiment succeeded.

‘Just with this, I can have the blessing, that’s amazing...!’

It was disgusting to see the dirty blood prospering with just one blessing.

Everything that girl had was what the special me deserved.

‘I also have ancient monsters called Shilui.’

Erilot only had one dragon, but I had a whole pack of Shilui.

“I’m greater... I’m more special...”

“E-Ereka.”

“If I leave, everyone will point fingers at me. That girl will keep acting superior shamelessly. It’s all mine... It should have been mine...”

“W-what are you talking about─”

Then.

Bang!

The door opened.

Marquis ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Gilar turned his pale face sharply.

“E-Erilot Astra!”

Marquis Gilar’s hands trembled.

‘Seeing her intact means the Shilui are annihilated!’

If the situation had gone wrong and the Shilui were wiped out, then he and his daughter...

Marquis Gilar shrank his shoulders.

Erilot strode into the room.

Third generation heirs ranked seventh followed behind the child.

Ereka’s face hardened.

‘Pretending to be special again...’

The one who should be here was me.

The one who inherited the Duke’s blood and kneeled those arrogant 3rd gens to take the top!

Erilot approached Ereka, who was biting her lip hard.

Ereka raised her head and said,

“What on earth is going on at this hour?”

“You should know better.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Erilot raised her eyebrow.

“There was a surprise attack at the Divine Hall. Magic tools are out of order, and the corridor connecting the Divine Hall and main fortress had collapsed. So the main fortress was noisy too.”

“So?”

“Why didn’t you come out despite all this commotion?”

“......!”

Ereka swallowed dryly.

But soon forced a smile.

“I was discussing with my father because of the task. That’s more important to us.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! But why did you come to find me? What does a surprise attack have to do with me?”

“Because monsters attacked.”

“Why? Am I the only one who can do ? Isn’t it more likely you brought monsters to burden the kids because you tamed the dragon?”

“......”

“Ah, I get it.”

Ereka crossed her arms and took a step closer to Erilot.

“You’re trying to frame me, right?”

“......”

“What a pity. That won’t work. Where’s the proof I used blessings?”

“You.”

Erilot stared hard at Ereka’s face.

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“......What?”

“A monster broke into Astra’s Divine Hall. This place has a powerful palace-level barrier.”

“Th-that’s...”

“Isn’t it normal to be surprised? You thought you might do such a thing someday. You’re a conceited red-eyed person.”

“......”

“When I heard about monsters, I immediately thought it was you─”

Snap!!

Ereka turned her head.

She covered her blazing cheek with a stiff hand.

“Y-you hit me? You... what is this?!”

“Not you, milady.”

“You!”

Snap!!

Ereka turned her head again.

Erilot lightly flicked her hand and looked at Ereka with an indifferent expression.

“Not you, milady.”

“T-this...!”

Snap!!

Marquis Gilar was pale, his mouth agape.

Even the ranked heirs looked a bit surprised, staring at Erilot.

Milan whistled sharply.

“Interesting.”

Loreina glared at Milan.

“Not the time for that.”

“I meant it looks good. She’s been so annoying.”

“That’s true, but...”

Loreina scoffed.

Ereka’s eyes rolled, and she shouted,

“What are you doing!”

Erilot spoke flatly.

“I issue the order as head of the Astra family. From this moment, Daymond Astra is appointed acting head of the family, and all authority is delegated to him until the head returns.”

“......!”

“......!”

The faces of Marquis Gilar and his daughter froze.

“By order of the acting head! Move Marquis Gilar and his daughter to the underground torture chamber!”

As soon as Erilot finished, soldiers poured into the room.

The Gilar pair, subdued instantly, looked at Erilot with pale, corpse-like faces.

Ereka screamed like a banshee.

“It’s not me! I said it’s not me!”

Erilot slowly walked toward Ereka.

A child stepped close to Ereka’s ear and murmured.

“Thanks for not confessing easily.”

“...What?”

“I didn’t want it to end so easily either.”

“You─”

“Yes. When I was attacked by your fake Shilui, I thought after this chaos ends...”

Erilot turned her head lightly to look at Ereka.

Sharp light blazed in her blood-red eyes.

“I’ll tear you apart.”

“......!”

Erilot straightened her posture.

Then put a finger to her lips and murmured innocently.

“Shall we play a game? Torture alone isn’t fun.”

Then she smiled brightly while looking at the pair.

“I’ll spare whoever confesses the truth of this incident first.”

“......!”

“......!”

“I wonder. Will the father abandon the daughter? Or will the daughter abandon the father?”

“T-this...!”

“No, no. Milady! Milady, please...!”

Erilot clapped her hands brightly, clearly enjoying herself.

“You know, Astra’s torture is beyond imagination. While the body is torn apart, the mind agonizes over when it will be abandoned. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

“You! You evil girl! I won’t forgive you...!”

“Why? Isn’t it more fun than when little Armand almost died?”

“......!”

“It’s more fun than watching my brothers bleed.”

“.......”

“Take them away.”

The Gilar pair were dragged out by soldiers.

Their desperate screams echoed down the hallway.

Milan, who had been relaxed until now, glanced at Erilot with a pale face.

“So... you really were holding back on your cousins.”

She’d let them slide when they messed around.

‘She can be terrifying.’

A chill ran down my spine.

Loreina and Selene, who had clashed with Erilot, also looked pale and swallowed dryly.

Only the twins and Rishimund smiled faintly.

Balzac smirked.

“So cool.”

...That pair really was terrifying.

The main fortress’s great hall was noisy.

The second generation grumbled.

“To think such a commotion would happen at the Divine Hall... How on earth was the barrier broken?”

“It’s because the Shilui attacked. They must have consumed all the barrier stones’ mana.”

“Thank goodness Daymond arrived early...”

Had it gone wrong, all the kids would have screamed in death.

While the second gens sighed, Balderic looked discontentedly at the vacant seat.

“Then why did Daymond become the acting head?”

“Well...”

Vasile, Dionera’s mother, shrugged.

“Because Daymond saved the kids.”

“No matter what, he’s acting head!”

Gustav, Armand’s father, cleared his throat.

“It must be because of Marquis Gilar’s coup attempt.”

“Do you really side with Daymond just because his kids saved your son?”

“That’s not it...”

“If I could’ve moved the direct troops from the start, I wouldn’t have had to wait for Daymond’s arrival. No, why Daymond? Gramier will come soon too.”

The eldest son was the heir, so that made sense, but Daymond was the second son.

‘Is the headship really about to be lost?’

While everyone whispered nervously, one second generation was unusually quiet.

‘Damn it.’

Ereka Gilar...!

Because of the foolish father and daughter, the carefully created Shilui were lost.