"No."
After releasing Richard's shoulder, Cailus brushed off his hand as though he had touched something filthy.
"Daphne is the only one I love."
He declared that he would never come to love Richard.
"So..."
He turned away coldly.
"Do not interfere with me anymore."
With those final words, Cailus left Richard behind and departed.
"..."
Left alone, Richard covered the corner of his mouth with one hand.
His head hung low toward the floor. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
"Hup..."
A choked, cackling laugh seeped through his clenched teeth.
"Hahahaha!"
Richard burst into frenzied, manic laughter.
Ah, how ridiculous.
Don't interfere?
His wide, watery blue eyes glinted with a twisted, manic light.
Why shouldn't I?
Who was it that had tormented him to death throughout dozens of past regressions?
"Cailus..."
Richard muttered.
Distorted laughter mingled with his voice.
From now on, not a single thing will go your way.
He glared venomously at the spot where Cailus had disappeared.
I curse you.
May nothing go as you wish. May you suffer endlessly. May even your death be filled with torment.
Just like I did.
Richard wished for it fervently.
"Richard Friedrich."
"..."
"Where have you been for the past two days without a word?"
The moment he returned to the mansion, a piercing gaze fell upon Richard's forehead.
"..."
Richard slowly raised his head and looked at the familiar man blocking his path.
"Not answering?"
The man's neck flushed crimson as he glared at Richard as though ready to devour him on the spot.
He was Richard's biological father, Albert Friedrich.
Unperturbed even by that fierce pressure, Richard answered calmly.
"I attended a tea party and had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor."
"Hah, what, what?! A tea party? His Majesty the Emperor?!"
Albert gaped at him in disbelief.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
He grabbed Richard's collar with both hands and yanked him violently.
"Do you think it isn't enough for you to stay locked up at home and keep quiet? You go wandering around as you please?!"
"..."
His shirt stretched taut, nearly tearing. Richard showed little reaction.
"..."
Instead, he stared blankly back at Albert with an impassive gaze.
"You bastard!"
Perhaps he found that attitude disrespectful. Albert raised his hand.
Smack!
With a sharp slap, Richard's head snapped to the left.
"..."
It was at that moment.
Pfft.
The corner of Richard's mouth twisted upward.
"You're laughing?! You really are insane!"
Thud!
His voice rising, Albert mercilessly kicked Richard in the abdomen.
Thump!
Richard collapsed straight to the floor.
"Today, I'll cure you of that insolence!"
Thwack!
Crash!
The assault continued for quite some time. Lying facedown on the floor and enduring Albert's kicks, Richard thought,
Here we go again.
As explained before, Richard's position in the Friedrich Mansion was generally like this.
The filthy bastard child.
Whether there was a reason or not, Richard was always beaten like this.
Ever since he was very young.
Albert Friedrich intensely loathed Richard, his bastard child.
No, could it be described as mere dislike?
He hated Richard. The reason was unknown. Perhaps it was simply because the birth of a bastard child had sullied the family's honor, or perhaps there was some other emotion behind it.
Whenever Albert saw Richard's platinum hair and blue eyes, he was overcome with hatred and assaulted him.
"I'm home, Father... Huh?"
The sound of someone entering the mansion and abruptly stopping in the foyer could be heard.
Then came the sound of a sword dragging across the floor. It drew closer before stopping directly in front of Richard's head.
"Richard Friedrich?"
A thick, large hand seized his hair and pulled his head up.
"Haha, did you do something to displease Father again?"
The well-built man grinned smugly.
His navy-blue eyes swept over Richard's bruised body, and a satisfied expression settled on his face.
"Stay out of this, Derek."
"Ah, yes, Father."
At Albert's words, the man stepped back. His name was Derek Friedrich.
Unlike Richard, he was the legitimate heir of House Friedrich.
Thud, thwack, crack!
As the assault continued, the man crossed his arms, watched the spectacle, and chuckled.
"You see, lowly blood will out, as they say. He doesn't know his place and acts out!"
Derek loathed Richard just as much as Albert did.
Since childhood, he had tormented Richard in every possible way. He tripped him in the hallway, dragged him into secluded corners to beat him, and poured dirty water into his food so that he couldn't eat it...
...
Bracing himself against the cold hallway floor, Richard bit down hard on his lower lip.
Crash!
Meanwhile, another kick flew at him, smashing Richard's head against the floor.
"Ugh!.."
His face contorted violently. Richard clenched both fists.
He wasn't afraid of those two.
They were merely contemptible.
How many times had he repeated this same life? The time when he feared them was long past.
Besides, they were characters he could crush whenever he wanted.
However, he couldn't do that now.
I'm not ready yet.
If he clashed with them now, it would interfere with his future plans.
For Lady Daphne's sake, he simply had to endure for now.
Thud!
Wasn't he used to it? This was how his life had always been.
Even "that day," when he first met her as a child, had been like this.
That day, the assault had continued, and Richard had been beaten and discarded in a corner.
"Filthy bastard child!"
Derek snickered as he stomped on Richard.
"The second young master..."
"Shh. Pretend you didn't see."
The servants, afraid of incurring their master's displeasure, pretended not to notice and passed by. No one extended a helping hand.
"Ugh, sob!.."
A life of being ignored and abandoned. Such a worthless and miserable life was precisely the life of Richard Friedrich.
He had thought he would live like this forever.
He had thought this misery was his fate.
He had been certain of it, but...
"Stop it!"
Only she had told him that this wasn't his fate.
"L-Lady Beatus?.."
"Isn't Young Master Friedrich your brother? Why are you treating him like this?"
That day, Richard couldn't take his eyes off her small back as she stood in front of him and scolded Derek.
Even though she was only a young noble lady, a head or two shorter than Derek...
Her back was so dazzling that...
"Young Master Friedrich!.. Are you all right? Can you get up?"
He fell in love with her at first sight.
...
Thwack!
Kicked and sent crashing into a corner, Richard suppressed a choked chuckle.
That's right.
Just remembering it made him feel ecstatic.
But...
Crack!
There was no way she would appear to help him now.
Crash!
Wasn't the possibility of her conveniently visiting the Friedrich Mansion again far too slim?
Thud!
So he simply had to endure for now.
Thwack, crash, thud!
"Ugh..."
Even if it hurt.
Because Lady Daphne wouldn't appear to save him...
It was then.
"Stop it!"
A bell-like voice rang through his head.
Was it an auditory hallucination?
"Lady Beatus."
"How many times have I asked you? Don't do this to Richard!.. Richard, are you all right?"
The sound of hurried footsteps running toward him filled the hallway.
Immediately afterward, warm hands cupped both his cheeks.
"Richard!.."
Worried jade-green eyes filled his vision. Her gaze was fixed solely on Richard.
"Oh no... Does it hurt terribly?!"
Her long brown hair fluttered gently, filling his field of view.
"Lady Daphne."
Richard looked at the girl before him with wavering eyes.
His breath caught in his throat.
His heart raced as though it had broken. His lips seemed glued shut, and no words came out.
How could this happen every time?
"Richard!.. Can you get up?"
The worried girl extended her hand. Sunlight pouring through the window cascaded over her.
"..."
Richard realized he was smiling. Ah, Lady Daphne had come.
Why and how she had appeared at precisely this moment were unimportant.
"Yes, Lady Daphne."
Richard smiled ecstatically and took her hand.
How is it that you always appear like this...?
This is why I...
Yes, Daphne Beatus was Richard's heroine.
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