Chapter 12

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Regarding the parts that have been published in book form, I have intentionally left the typos, omissions, and corrections as they are, hoping that they might serve as reference material later on.

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My breath quickened, and the back of my eyes felt unbearably hot.

The clumsy, ungraceful footsteps made me acutely aware of the heaviness and ugliness of my own body.

A white pig is still a white pig.

No matter if memories from my past life sprout or if magic becomes a skill, a pig is still a pig.

No matter if I was on the verge of death or alive, my parents had nothing but disdain for me.

When I turned the corner of the hallway, my room was at the end. I ran desperately, wanting to escape, but then came a not-so-light impact.

I tumbled onto the floor, and what I heard was a woman's scream. Startled, I got up to see that Ms. Rottenmeier was also sitting on the floor.

"Master...?"

Ms. Rottenmeier's figure was blurry, and then the heat in the back of my eyes gradually spread to my cheeks.

A growl-like sound came from my throat, and a tear fell.

My father looked at me as if I were a loathsome proof of infidelity, and my mother looked at me with open disgust and hatred. Hatred and enmity. In other words, I was clearly their enemy.

I didn't remember my parents' faces or voices, not because I was stupid, but because I had never properly seen their faces or heard their voices.

The adults around me knew that I was not only unloved but also hated by my parents, and they subtly kept me away from them.

Even this time, Ms. Rottenmeier had told me the situation in advance, so I wouldn't get hurt and wouldn't entertain any false hopes.

But still, I...

I could use magic now, and I could do a little more than before. So, I thought maybe, just maybe, they might like me a little.

Even though I had been properly warned that it was futile, I still felt hurt and cried, which was so pathetic.

I felt ashamed of myself.

I wiped the tears that kept falling from my eyes.

I needed to apologize for ignoring the warning.

"S-Sorry... I... ugh, s-situation, h-hic... explain... l-leave... h-hic..."

"Master...!"

Stop crying, stop crying!

I rubbed my eyes with my fists to stop the tears from coming. It was embarrassing that I couldn't speak properly through my sobs.

"...Hic... I'm... sorry..."

"Master..."

I bit my lip tightly to stop the tears from falling, and I dug my nails into my palm to distract myself with the pain.

It's okay now. I won't fail next time.

"I'm going to wash my face."

I should have helped Ms. Rottenmeier up, but if I touched her now, I might cling to her and cry again.

I hurried back down the stairs to the first-floor bathroom.

Like the faucets in my past life, the water here comes out when you turn the tap, but it seems that a magic stone, which has been enchanted to control the water flow, is placed somewhere, and the tap operates the magic.

Even if I feel sad, if I think about something else vaguely, the tears seem to subside.

Apparently, 'I' have the habit of easing the pain by throwing questions about the world into my head.

I rubbed my eyes a bit roughly and wiped them with a handkerchief.

I might want to try carving soap with a knife someday.

As I thought about various things aimlessly, I approached the stairs leading to my room, which I had wandered around several times today.

Then I saw a small shadow alone on the landing.

Regulus.

He was aimlessly tapping the banister or trying to lift the red carpet.

What kind of child is he?

My brother.

To get to my room, I had to pass by him.

I didn't need to be polite, but I felt hesitant and tried to approach the stairs while avoiding his line of sight. Then, a man named Sebastian, my mother's servant, appeared behind Regulus.

It seemed that the man couldn't see me because I was in the shadow of an object placed on the stairs.

He looked around with a dim expression and reached out his hand to Regulus's back, who was standing at the edge of the stairs.

I thought he was going to stop him from falling, but...

Before I could react with a "What!?", Regulus's body tilted forward and fell down the stairs, and my feet moved on their own to run towards him.

"Kyaa!? Master Regulus!?"

I heard a girl's scream, but I couldn't pay attention to it.

My clumsy, ungraceful running might not be fast enough, but perhaps because I wished for it, my body felt very light.

Before Regulus's body hit the stairs, I embraced him, protecting his head.

But I couldn't prevent us from falling down the stairs. I glared at Sebastian, who was fleeing, as my vision spun.

Then, the impact and pain hit my buttocks, back, and finally my head.

I rolled down the stairs with Regulus in my arms.

Not only did my body hit the stairs, but the friction against the walls and corners of the stairs was also very painful.

When I hit the floor with a thud, the falling stopped.

My body was shaking, and my head was dizzy.

Then, Regulus moved in my arms, and his head, which had been resting on my stomach, lifted, and I saw his face.

Blond hair, cool blue eyes, and a tanned complexion. A sweet face that made me imagine his future masculine appearance, very much like my father.

As I sighed, my head suddenly went blank.

And then...

"You filthy pig. I will make you pay."

A young man's voice, full of authority, made me look up. The mansion was engulfed in flames, and a young man with golden hair and blue eyes, dressed in a splendid military uniform, was about to strike me with a sword...

...Ah, someday, this child will kill me.

Just before I lost consciousness, the image in my mind gave me a sense of certainty and acceptance.

Thank you for reading.