Pitiful Young Master in a Reversed World

Chapter 15

Beya looked at her own portrait with eyes that had grown wide in shock.

How could this even be possible?

How could there be a drawing of Beya's face in a notebook that looked like it was several years old?

The Beya in the drawing had hair grown long down to her waist, making it impossible that Louis drew it after meeting her.

Even though in reality, Beya had a neat bob cut as if sliced clean with a knife.

The long hair drawn, as if Louis only knew Beya with long hair, made Beya think deeply.

Because Beya had never once grown her hair longer than her shoulders in her entire life.

Well, maybe he could have imagined her face realistically somehow.

With trembling hands, she turned the page.

Thinking that if she saw the name written on the back, she would know for sure.

'Beya........'

Seeing the name 'Beya' written on the back of the paper, her eyes quivered greatly.

That meant the portrait in the notebook was definitely not just a product of Louis's imagination.

Beya's expression hardened as she looked at the face of the person drawn after her own.

Black hair with eyes shining silver.

A wolf's ears perked up, with an expression that looked emotionless at first glance.

".....Specter?"

Her muttering echoed hollowly.

Seeing the face of a beautiful woman with a wild charm, Beya unconsciously whispered to herself.

The person drawn after Beya was someone she knew very well.

The Martial Specter.

Specter was the clan master who founded the clan called 'Stinger', which Beya belonged to, and was always mentioned when discussing the strongest adventurers alongside Beya.

Also known as the 'Wolf King.'

Even Beya acknowledged Specter's power at least.

Why would such a Specter be drawn in Louis's notebook?

Her hand turned the page.

The next person drawn was someone Beya did not know.

Pink hair and pink eyes.

The horns on her head indicated she was not human.

'A humanoid race with horns... must be a succubus.'

Succubi and incubi, like vampires, were also Races of the Night, and they naturally possessed the ability called 'Vitality Absorption', similar to vampires' innate bloodsucking.

If they were strong enough, succubi and incubi could even forcefully absorb vitality by putting their target to sleep or invading their dreams.

Because of that, succubi had many enemies.

All living creatures are most vulnerable when asleep.

So, succubi and incubi could be considered the natural enemies of all humanoid races.

The pleasure they offered was certainly sweet and seductive, but if the price was one's life,

How many could truly enjoy that pleasure without worry?

'Ran....'

Beya's eyes narrowed as she read the name written on the back of the paper.

Thinking that once she escaped this mansion, she should look for a succubus named Ran.

*

Seeing Louis's self-portrait drawn on the last page, Beya closed the notebook with a sigh.

There were a few people she knew in the notebook, but most of them were strangers.

Her gaze turned towards the sleeping Louis.

'He probably hasn't met all these people.'

Beya recalled the intense pull she felt when she first saw Louis.

Perhaps that sensation was related to this notebook.

Louis said he was twenty years old.

A young man well past the Empire's age of adulthood, which was seventeen.

But in that short time, it was impossible for him to have met such a diverse range of races.

Besides, the notebook even contained detailed drawings of famous people Beya had only glimpsed from afar.

Extremely detailed ones at that.

Today was the first time Beya realized that person had a mole under their lip.

"Hmm......"

Letting out a low hum, she slid the notebook back onto the shelf.

There were still far too few clues.

All she could do was rely on her gut feeling that her emotions and this notebook were somehow connected.

'......Let's get out. Whether to report or investigate, I need to do something.'

She quietly left the room and closed the door behind her without making a sound, then carefully moved her steps.

"Are you Beya?"

Just as she was about to enter her own room, Beya closed the door again when she saw a figure approaching from afar.

The blonde, blue-eyed woman nodded in greeting as Beya looked at her, then came right up close.

As Beya stared blankly at the woman, the woman put on a serious expression.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Oatmeal."

'Isn't oatmeal something you eat? Must be a name her master gave her. Who's her master? Zenia? Hamila?'

Beya looked at the woman with such idle thoughts.

"And who are you?"

"I just introduced myself as Oatmeal......."

"Not your name."

"Uh... a toy... I suppose?"

"Who sent you?"

The woman hesitated at Beya's question.

"Actually, I came to talk about my master."

Beya leaned crookedly against the door.

"Go on."

"First, could we go inside......."

"Say it here."

At Beya's firm reply, the woman kept glancing nervously around.

"It's difficult to talk here."

Beya saw that the woman claiming to be Oatmeal kept glancing directly toward Louis's room.

'.......'

Beya naturally unfolded her crossed arms, turned around, and opened the door to the room.

"Get in."

"Yes."

Following the woman inside, Beya quietly closed the door.

"Now talk."

After a moment's hesitation, the woman spoke softly.

"Actually... my master is Louis."

At those words, Beya's expression hardened.

'So, Louis had more toys?'

Seeing confusion fill Beya's eyes, the woman giggled.

"You believe that? Are you really that stupid?"

At her words, Beya quickly regained her composure.

'Yeah, no way that's true.'

Beya knew very well that Louis was not just a fragile little boy.

How could she not?

She had seen the woman who tried to rape Louis locked up in the basement of the mansion where he lived.

Seeing that, what would anyone think?

Ah, Louis must have told his family, and they caught the would-be rapist who tried to assault him.

Normally, that's what one would assume.

However, Louis could be considered a member of a crime syndicate specializing in human trafficking.

So, she had to abandon such naive thoughts.

'I'm sure Louis has a few secrets he can't tell me.'

But it didn't matter.

After all, Louis was still a virgin.

Beya believed in Louis's purity.

"Hey, toy? I don't know what kind of tramp you've been rolling around as outside, but you'd better watch yourself."

At the woman's words, Beya scoffed and crossed her arms.

"And what exactly did I do?"

"Anything and everything."

"Ah, I see. So that's your master's message, huh?"

At Beya's words, the woman put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, I came to deliver the master's message. I hope you listen carefully."

"Go ahead, say it."

Beya said as she dug her ear with her pinky.

"Ahem, it's laughable how arrogant you've become just because Louis showed a little interest in you.

Do you really think Louis will keep feeding you forever? In the end, you're destined to be discarded. That's what I was told to tell you. And--"

"And?"

"If you want to talk, come to the basement at 2 a.m. tonight, he said."

After finishing her words, the woman smiled and turned away from Beya.

Watching the woman walk away from her, Beya quietly uncrossed her arms and raised her left hand.

Immediately, there was a reaction from the woman.

"Hiiik...!"

The woman, drenched in red blood, fumbled to escape but was helplessly dragged back to Beya.

Beya slammed the woman onto the floor and placed her foot on her back.

"So, who told you to say that?"

"W-what are you talking about......"

"You don't understand human speech, huh."

Beya grabbed the woman's head with her right hand.

"Ugh...! Hic......"

From her right hand, claws began to grow.

Crimson claws gradually dug deeper into the woman's head.

As Beya's claws tore into her scalp, blood trickled down.

Feeling the blood running down her forehead, the woman's expression twisted in terror.

"Ha, Hamila! It's Lady Hamila Cartio!"

Finally, driven into panic, the woman blurted out her master's name.

"Hamila Cartio."

Beya also had quite a relationship with Hamila.

Beya loosened her grip on the woman's head.

Watching Beya warily, the woman timidly opened her mouth.

"Th-then, may I leave now?"

With a sly smile, Beya filled the woman's mouth with blood.

"Grrbl, blurble......"

Because of that, the woman's voice became bizarre, as if speaking underwater.

Beya slung the woman over her shoulder and headed back to Louis's room.

"Mmph, grblgh......"

After setting the woman down on the floor, she approached the sleeping Louis to wake him.

Her gaze was momentarily captivated by his red lips, like a vivid point on his pale white skin.

'......I should wake him up.'

After admiring Louis's face for a moment, she tapped his shoulder.

"Louis."