Chapter 3

"I searched for you quite a bit. Just where did you go by yourself?"

The man smiled, his obsidian eyes twisting. Bertah glared at him with a piercing gaze, her lips tightly pressed together.

This man in his mid-thirties was Viscount Biliel Bakurin, who governed the area around the village where Bertah used to live. The Bakurin territory was a remote countryside, far from the capital and off the main road. Despite its seclusion, it was a fertile land with abundant wheat production, making it a peaceful domain where no one went hungry, though it lacked the urban entertainment.

That's what Bertah used to believe.

"...Wherever I go, it's none of your business, my lord."

"Stop being so formal. We're close, aren't we?"

"I don't remember that."

"How sad. I'm your sister's guardian. It's only natural that I care about her younger sister."

At his words, the hands tied behind the chair's back creaked.

"Right, about your sister... I heard she ran out of the village as soon as she received the news. I'm sure you know. It was very unfortunate."

Bertah, who had tried to kick him, found both her legs tied to the chair.

"I had high hopes for her, but the sudden change in environment must have been stressful. But it was pouring that day, so I also feel responsible for not stopping her from going out."

No matter how much she struggled, the small Bertah couldn't move the luxurious chair. Her struggle, which was disrespectful, didn't bother the man. He calmly sipped the tea prepared by his servant.

A cup of the same tea was placed next to Bertah, but she couldn't drink it with her hands tied. The steam rising from the cup merely emphasized its presence.

Hatred welled up, blurring her vision. If she weren't tied to the chair, she would have attacked him, ready to face the consequences. The powerless Bertah had often dreamed of killing this man with her own hands.

Her sister's guardian?

It's only natural to care about her younger sister?

He felt responsible for not stopping her from going out?

How utterly hypocritical.

He didn't think any of those things.

He intended to kill her sister from the start!

Bertah had an older sister.

Their parents died of an epidemic, and Bertah was raised by her sister and the caring women in the neighborhood.

The small village, which made a living from agriculture, was one of the farming villages in the Bakurin territory. The whole village was like a family.

Everyone grew wheat together and lived by helping each other. Bertah and her sister grew up with their help.

Her sister was better at using her head than her hands and was researching plants for the village. She discovered that mixing several weeds that interfered with crops could create a painkiller.

The village chief reported to the viscount that the weeds, which were usually discarded, could be a resource. The viscount came to the village to confirm this himself.

That was Biliel.

He praised her sister's talent as an alchemist and asked her to continue her research for him. It was a request from a noble, which was almost an order for a simple village girl. Despite her concern for her young sister, she left the village with the viscount, promising to write letters regularly.

Because her sister loved reading, Bertah learned to read and write by imitating her. Her sister sent a letter once a week, which Bertah carefully stored in a box.

For several months, the letters arrived weekly. They described a challenging but fulfilling job, and sometimes a small amount of money was sent to help with their living expenses. Bertah saved it all, along with the letters, to buy a treat when her sister returned.

However, the letters became less frequent, arriving every two weeks, then monthly, and eventually stopped altogether.

The last few letters were incoherent and full of misspellings. Still, the handwriting was her sister's, so Bertah thought she was too busy to write properly. Despite the oddity, she stored all the letters in the box.

But then, no more letters arrived. Six months later...

The news of her sister's death arrived.

She had fallen into a river by accident and drowned.

Bertah packed her sister's letters and all her savings into a bag and fled the village. She couldn't believe the news and wanted to confirm it herself. After a three-day journey by carriage, she arrived in the town where the viscount's mansion was located. There, she heard rumors about a woman who had fallen into the river a few days earlier. Some men laughed, saying a drunk woman had fallen into the river and drowned during a heavy rain.

Bertah couldn't believe it. She couldn't accept that it was her sister.

Because her sister couldn't drink alcohol.

She was a teetotaler and wouldn't drink even a sip. She would never drink on her own.

But to confirm the truth, Bertah, a simple village girl, couldn't just enter the viscount's mansion.

Still, she wanted to know about her sister, so she went to the back of the mansion, hoping to catch a servant. As she crept through the overgrown hedges, she heard the viscount's angry voice from the courtyard.

Frustrated that he was enjoying tea while her sister was dead, Bertah's vision turned white with rage. It felt like the world had exploded. She wondered why it hadn't. Why was the sky clear, and why were people going about their business as usual?

Bertah ran out from the hedges.

She clenched her teeth so hard that she tasted blood, glaring at the clear sky. She glared at the dazzling mansion under the blue sky, as if she could set it on fire with her gaze.

I won't forgive you. I won't forget. I won't let this fade. I won't let this be erased.

I won't let my sister's grievances, my anger, and our insignificant and powerless laments be forgotten.

I must avenge this.

Absolutely, I will take revenge—!!

With that, Bertah headed for the capital, not her hometown, to attend Platrob Academy.

She needed power.

To have her words heard, to not be crushed by the class difference, she needed to be more powerful than the viscount.

To prevent her evidence from being destroyed.

She worked tirelessly for three years to achieve her revenge.

The person she vowed to avenge was now in front of her.

"More importantly, Bertah. I was surprised."

Biliel, who was enjoying his tea without a care for Bertah's boiling hatred and anger, placed his cup silently on the saucer. Even under the murderous glare of her violet eyes, Biliel didn't remove his mask of a good young man.

"Who would have thought that after you didn't return to the village, you'd end up attending that academy in the capital... Your sister was indeed excellent, but I never thought you were such a talented girl."

Of course. He wouldn't think that.

Her sister was a miracle. She focused on what interested her, and it led to new discoveries. She read all the books in the village and started her research without any guidance. In that ordinary village, her sister was a miracle. That's why she disappeared so quickly. She was loved too much by God and given such a trial.

Compared to her, Bertah was ordinary. She could read and write, but only because her sister taught her. She learned arithmetic by helping with her sister's research. That was the extent of Bertah's abilities in the village. She needed to leave to gain more.

Bertah had a purpose.

A goal.

Something she wanted.

Something she had to achieve.

That's why she studied with all her might, as if shortening her lifespan. She absorbed knowledge as if it were her lifeblood. She worked to support herself but devoted all her other time to studying. This made her the Bertah she is today.

It was an inefficient way to act. But she didn't have the luxury to take her time and deepen her understanding. She just kept imprinting knowledge in her memory. Bertah gained knowledge, but if asked if she could use it effectively, the answer would be no.

If she were skilled at handling knowledge, she would have found a way to insult Biliel. But now, overwhelmed by excitement, not a single insult came to mind. Her mouth was free, but all that came out were groans.

"Your knowledge is commendable. But I heard you're working in the kitchen at night to make ends meet. I've heard that you barely sleep, and it's causing concern among your peers. Your talent will be wasted if you continue like this... How about it? Like your sister, would you accept my assistance? Don't worry about money. Your tuition is a mere trifle. Let me help you."

With that, Biliel stood up and approached the struggling Bertah. With her hands and feet bound, Bertah couldn't harm him no matter how much she struggled. Knowing this, Biliel could smile elegantly despite her clear hostility. He was utterly detestable.

Biliel stood before Bertah, his calm smile never wavering.

"If you nod here, I'll untie you."

It made her want to vomit.

A nobleman calmly drinking tea while tying a commoner girl to a chair...

What is he doing? What is he doing?