Pitiful Young Master in a Reversed World

Chapter 21

"A succubus? What are you talking about...?"

Reina smiled playfully, her eyes piercing straight through me.

"Well, it just felt that way."

"Hehe, should I take that as a compliment about how beautiful I am?"

"...Think whatever you want."

There was a reason why I suspected Reina was a succubus.

Just like when I first entered this room, when her cheek touched my hand, I felt my body heat up.

Her beauty aside, that was the main factor.

I had heard that succubi and incubi excite their targets to more easily absorb their vitality.

Remembering that, I asked her... but since she denied it, I didn't press further.

After all, it wasn't like we would get deeply involved anyway.

"...Let's resume our conversation."

Holding back a sigh, Yelena spoke, and I made a reluctant face.

"Right. What were we talking about again...... Ah! So, where are the adventurers bustling around?"

"It's a clan. Originally, not all adventurers were like that, but as more people gathered into one clan, it's been growing larger."

"Which clan is that?"

"Stinger. You've probably heard of it at least once."

"Hmm."

Hearing the name from Yelena's mouth, I crossed my arms and leaned back.

Yeah. I had expected as much.

Since Beya belongs to that clan, Stinger.

And it's also where Specter, another character I suspect I created, holds the position of clan master.

"So, what's their reason for gathering?"

"That part I don't know. There are just rampant rumors that something big will happen soon. For details, you'd need to ask Stinger's executives."

I nodded with my arms still crossed.

I considered mentioning that there was an executive of Stinger in this mansion right now, but held back.

"Got it. That was quite helpful. Has anything changed inside Black Robe?"

"Inside Black Robe... come to think of it, ...... visited Black Robe recently."

"What did you say?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said ...... visited."

I could hear everything else Yelena was saying, but I couldn't catch who had visited Black Robe.

Wondering if there was something wrong with my ears, I tilted my head and picked at my ear with my pinky.

"What are you doing?"

"Hm? Oh, it's just that I couldn't quite hear the name, so I wondered if my ear was off. Say it again."

"......"

Yelena moved her lips as if saying something,

but I still couldn't hear her voice.

Frowning, I watched as Yelena tapped her fingers on the chair and asked,

"You can't hear it?"

"Yeah, this is kind of weird."

"Can you hear other words fine?"

"Yes. It's just the name I can't hear. Is this dangerous or something?"

"Let me check."

Yelena placed her hand in front of my face and closed her eyes.

"...Indeed, there's something. This is... black magic?"

"Can you dispel it?"

"Wait... no, it's a bit different. Rather than black magic, it's closer to a curse."

At the word 'curse' from Yelena's mouth, Reina's interest was piqued sharply.

So much so that the sticky gaze she had on me turned completely into the look of someone seeing a research-worthy specimen.

Glancing at Reina, I asked Yelena,

"A curse? Then isn't that dangerous?"

"I think it's fine. It doesn't seem like the kind that harms you. Still, I'll remove it, just in case something happens later."

"Please do."

Yelena's cold hand touched my forehead.

Feeling the mana flowing from her fingertips enveloping my body, I shuddered once.

The sensation of foreign mana covering me was still something I hadn't gotten used to.

"It's done."

At Yelena's words, I opened and closed my hand to check if anything had changed, but nothing really stood out.

Was I even cursed in the first place?

I sent Yelena a suspicious look.

"I don't really feel any different."

"Luia."

"...?"

Tilting my head, Yelena asked in a puzzled tone.

"Don't tell me you still can't hear the name?"

"No, I can hear it. Oh, so the name you mentioned earlier was Luia?"

That was surprising.

Just a few days ago, I had even talked with Luia,

but somehow, I had completely forgotten about her existence.

"Come to think of it, during mealtime......"

"Did something happen?"

Letting out a deep sigh, I rubbed my dry face.

"Zenia-that is, third sister-said something felt missing, since there should be six of us but only five were there. I was wondering what she was talking about."

Listening quietly, Reina smiled with interest and spoke.

"From what Louis said, it seems like you completely forgot about this Luia person, right?"

With a stiff expression, I nodded at Reina's question.

Reina crossed her legs and rested her chin on one hand.

"I may not look it, but I'm quite knowledgeable in this area. I think I can make a guess-would you like to hear it?"

"Whenever Reina says something like this, she's usually right or close to it. I recommend listening."

With a reluctant expression, I opened my mouth.

"If even Yelena says that... fine. Let's hear it."

Smiling brightly, Reina uncrossed her legs and laced her fingers together.

"Honestly, there are plenty of spells that can produce this kind of effect. Sealing memories, implanting suggestions, or using curses... similar to what happened to you, Louis."

After taking a sip of water, Reina continued.

Yelena called it a curse, but from what I observed, it's closer to black magic. The kind that only activates when certain conditions are met.

Louis, do you remember how others reacted when Zenia mentioned that person?

I thought back carefully on what had happened earlier.

How did the others react to Zenia's words?

I couldn't recall exactly, but I think most of them didn't agree with her.

"Probably similar to my reaction. I don't remember clearly, though."

"Good. So, your whole family forgot about Luia. That narrows it down a lot."

Reina pulled my hand and gently tickled the back of it as she continued.

"Someone tampered with Cartio's bloodline."

*

Morning mealtime,

I came down to the dining hall a bit later than yesterday.

I didn't want to arrive early and end up alone with Mother again.

The atmosphere in the dining hall I entered was so cold it was practically frozen.

With only Mother and Hamila present, I couldn't tell if I was here for breakfast or a funeral.

"Oh, Louis, you're here!"

Hamila spotted me, smiled brightly, and waved her hand.

But I didn't respond to Hamila's greeting and took a step back.

Of all people, the two here in the dining hall were the ones I wanted to avoid most.

"Come to think of it, I forgot to wash my face. Let me just wash up...."

Just as I grabbed the dining hall door handle to leave, the door suddenly swung open and smacked me in the forehead.

"Ack!"

"Louis. Are you alright?!"

My flustered father fussed over me, rubbing my forehead.

"Zenia! You should've been more careful!"

"No... How was I supposed to know Louis was right outside......."

I felt a little sorry for Zenia, who looked wronged, but honestly, their arrival was a relief for me.

After all, the only reason I was about to leave the dining hall was because of those two, but now that Zenia and Father had arrived, there was no need.

So I turned back and took a seat at the table.

"Didn't you say you were going to wash your face?"

"It would be rude to leave when the whole family is gathered."

Even though Luia hadn't arrived yet, I pretended not to notice her absence.

"Everyone... Right. Everyone's here."

"Is your forehead okay?"

Zenia asked worriedly as she pulled out Father's chair, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

'But why did those two come together again today?'

A sudden question popped into my mind, and I tilted my head.

Now that I think about it, didn't those two, Zenia and Father, come down together yesterday too?

And lately, it seems like Father and Zenia have gotten unusually close?

'Feels like... this isn't something that just started yesterday or today...."

Thinking about it, it was strange.

I tried to dig through my hazy memories.

Excluding the days I was the last to arrive and couldn't check,

I should be able to figure out when Zenia and Father started coming together.

As I traced back my memories, I stopped chewing my bacon.

'...At least a month. Maybe even longer.'

With stiff, jerky movements, I rolled my eyes back and forth between Zenia and Father.

'What the hell is this shit.......'

I saw Zenia and Father occasionally exchange glances and faint smiles, and I buried my face in my soup.

I hated even imagining it, but right now, 'that' possibility was the strongest.

'Does Mother know?'

With my head still down, I glanced at Mother, but she seemed oblivious, focused solely on her meal.

'No, how did I not notice until now?'

I barely resisted the urge to tear my hair out.

The fact they acted so naturally meant they'd been like this all along.

'This family is a goddamn mess.......'

My head started spinning.

It felt like I had glimpsed an abyss I never wanted to see.

My mental strength was being pounded down and shaved away chunk by chunk in real time.

'Ah, no. I need to pull myself together.'

Soon I would have to go up to the fourth floor where Hamila was.

I absolutely couldn't waste my mental energy already.

'Ah, fuck.......'

Just now, Zenia and Father exchanged glances and smiled at each other again.