The moment I witnessed the scene unfolding before my eyes, it felt like my breath was caught in my throat.
The familiar wallpaper and hallway.
At the end, a girl was kneeling, her appearance sparking a sense of déjà vu.
At first, I was uncertain when I only saw her long black hair from behind.
But as her face slightly revealed itself.
the moment I saw her terrified expression, I recognized her immediately.
‘It’s young Irene Vermont…’
That was the past version of Irene.
I couldn’t tell exactly how old she was, but I guessed she might be around 12 years old.
With her flowing black hair and red eyes.
I recognized her as Irene at first glance.
However, without those features, it would be hard to believe that this was Irene as a child; she looked so different from now.
Even with her expressionless face, her fierce gaze transformed into that of an innocent child,
and the high-heeled shoes that seemed ready to stomp on me had turned into little sneakers.
Her sharp nails, which seemed like they would scratch my cheeks, were now neatly trimmed.
‘What on earth happened to turn her so dark?’
Is it really the same person?
How did such an innocent-looking child grow into this villain?
It felt like a shock, as if I were witnessing the humble past of a glamorous delinquent.
“Dammit. Why did it have to fall here… There’s nothing to see, so close your eyes.”
“Wait a moment. I just want to see what’s beyond that door.”
“Hey! Stop! I said stop, Aslan!!!”
Clang, Clack.
Irene kept pulling at the handcuffs, getting frustrated.
She struggled to pull me down as I tried to move forward, but it was useless.
In the alternate world, the physical laws of reality don’t apply.
Irene’s immense strength doesn’t work here.
What acts more powerfully than physical strength here is, indeed, mental strength.
“Are you not going to close your eyes? Do you want to die!?”
Was she flustered by showing her childhood self?
In her current state, Irene had weakened to the point where I could easily drag her along with my power.
I ruthlessly pulled her, who was sprawled out like a spoiled child, and peered through the gap in the door that young Irene was looking at.
What revealed itself inside was unexpectedly…
‘Aslan Vermont…?’
It was Aslan.
A young Aslan.
He seemed sharper back then; intelligence peeked through his eyes.
However, he looked rather unlucky.
I had always thought Yuri looked unfortunate, but this kid far surpassed that.
At least Yuri was somewhat cute.
Young Aslan looked like someone I’d want to hit once, no, ten times.
And the one in front of Aslan is···.
And in front of Aslan was…
A middle-aged man with a vicious resemblance to Aslan.
Was it Count Vermont?
The former head of the family who had been executed after falling into the madness of black magic and conducting cruel experiments.
“Dammit, close your eyes! Please, please… Sob… Just stop it…”
“…?”
Initially, Irene had resisted me as if she wanted to kill me, but at some point, her resistance slowly turned into pleas.
Now, she was clinging to my arm, sobbing and begging for it to stop.
Why is she acting like this?
Could it be that, due to looking into her past memories, she returned to her innocent self?
Seeing Irene so reluctant to show this side of herself made me sure I had to look.
“Father. Is sister truly a Vermont?”
“Why? Does it not seem so?”
“Yes. No matter how I look at it, I find it hard to believe she shares the same blood.”
“Then do you think it would be better to eliminate her? Speak, Aslan. What do you think?”
“I…”
The conversation that followed was enough to shock young Irene.
Survival of the fittest.
In a family that demanded unending cruelty from its children, Irene was a being like a mutation.
Having grown up seeing and learning the same things, while Aslan possessed a cruel temperament that surpassed their father, Irene was purer than anyone else.
“Hah! Haaah…!”
Eventually, panting heavily,
Irene collapsed on the floor in pain.
Young Irene also trembled at the edges of her eyes, soon bursting into tears and fleeing.
But I remained there, deciding to continue eavesdropping on the remaining conversation.
“Hahaha. If that’s how you think…”
“Father. I’ll handle it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t need to dirty your hands. I’ll take care of it myself.”
Perhaps it was fortunate that she didn’t hear this part.
At this time, Aslan was a piece of human trash who had tried to kill his own sister, utterly irredeemable.
In a family filled with such trash, how did Irene manage to endure as the only normal person?
With a rustle, the scenery before my eyes changed, transitioning into Irene’s next memories.
“Sh*t, damn it!”
“Miss?”
“My clothes are a mess! Who the h*ll is the maid who washed them!”
From the next day, Irene completely changed.
She began to hurl insults at the servants and used violence.
The tasks assigned by her father were carried out cruelly and ‘Vermont-style’, without any regard for means or methods.
At first, she seemed awkward, but it was as if blood couldn’t be denied, as she quickly became accustomed to it.
Irene’s skills surpassed Aslan’s in an instant.
In terms of effectiveness or diplomacy, Irene was vastly superior to Aslan.
Yet, she never forgot to keep Aslan beneath her.
Whenever there was a chance, she would use her accumulated power to bring Aslan to his knees, and only after beating him with a whip until her interest waned would she let him go.
‘Is that why I can only tremble in fear whenever I face Irene?’
Count Vermont was greatly satisfied with the changed Irene.
The order for elimination had fizzled out.
Thus, Irene appeared to have become a ‘true Vermont’ at first glance.
“I’m going to obtain the chunk of Neomium and make sure no one can find it. Not even Father or Aslan!”
Irene’s true nature remained unchanged.
In truth, she didn’t want to utter curses or harm anyone; she was a tender-hearted girl.
Irene’s essence was still the same as during that time when she peeked through the door.
Because of this, she could not overlook Vermont’s cruelty.
She decided to obtain Neomium before her father or Aslan could.
Putting her life on the line for results and gaining her father’s recognition, collecting money through every dirty trick was all part of a grand plan for this day.
Irene secretly sought the Neomium under a disguised identity.
Thanks to offering an unprecedentedly high price, the Neomium quickly appeared at auction.
It was a predetermined auction with no unexpected events, and Irene ultimately succeeded in acquiring the Neomium.
… Or so she believed, until Aslan appeared.
“Your filial piety is truly commendable, Sister. You’ve prepared all this for Father.”
“Ah, Aslan!?”
“This contribution will surely be valued by Father. Now, hand over the Neomium.”
“Even if I do, I will give it to him myself. Tell him I will go to the mansion tomorrow.”
“Orders say that I cannot allow you time. You might ‘accidentally’ break the Neomium, after all.”
“W-What are you talking about!? Anyway, I can’t give it to you!”
“Leon. Subdue her. Without injuring her.”
“Hey!!!”
Though Irene had trained her strength to some extent, she was powerless before the strength of a Sword Expert.
In an instant, her wrist was twisted, and she fell to the ground.
The chunk of Neomium that rolled from her twisted hand was caught in Aslan’s pale grip.
As that scene ended, the view before my eyes wavered once more, beginning to transition into another memory.
‘The Neomium was not with Irene…?’
It was certainly Irene who was the successful bidder.
However, as she was leaving the auction house, Aslan and his escort knight ambushed her.
Ultimately, the person who obtained the Neomium was none other than Aslan.
‘So where is the chunk of Neomium now?’
Is the Neomium with me right now?
What on earth happened?
I wanted to ask Irene, bewildered.
“Ah. Ahh. Ah…”
“Oh dear.”
Was it because she had been exposed to trauma for too long?
Irene, bound in handcuffs, was sprawled on the ground, convulsing, on the verge of fainting.
This is completely messed up.
It seems like it’s about time to stop revisiting the past.
.
.
.
[…! …! …! …!]
Huff, Huff, Huff.
Panting heavily.
Laura’s close glanced back at the path she had taken.
Emilia was being dragged, bound.
Skeleton soldiers surrounded the mountain.
And the green-haired girl patrolling, along with the large-breasted knight.
With this body, she can no longer grow larger.
If she gets caught, it can only be helplessly seized.
It was a miracle to have escaped from that terrifying encirclement.
[…!!]
Now that she no longer had to worry about being caught, she needed to extract Irene quickly.
Irene was so afraid of the past that she had nightmares every day!
Having been trapped in the flood of memories for so long, she wondered how she was doing now.
As Laura trembled, looking like she was about to cry.
She was just about to open her mouth when…
[…!?]
Suddenly, everything darkened, and a chill ran through her.
It felt as if it had become midwinter.
Oh.
Could it be?
[Where do you think you’re spewing from?]
[…!!]
Step, Step.
A figure of a woman emerged dimly from the darkness, and upon hearing the voice, Laura’s body stiffened.
It was a voice she had never heard before, but she immediately recognized the identity.
A primal fear.
The terror engraved in every evil god’s instinct overwhelmed Laura.
[It’s not time yet. You can’t do anything without my permission… Ah! My servant wants you to let him out! Hurry! Hurry and open your mouth!]
[…??]
Well…
Was she always this frivolous?
Laura hurriedly opened her mouth, speechless from the confusion.
