Eaten By The Tyrant I Raised

Ronée left the wet handkerchief on the floor.
Thanks to this, Ronée and Nabel now held hands tightly without any fabric impeding their touch.
Nabel alternately glanced between his hand and Ronée’s face. 

“You didn’t get hurt, did you?” 

Nabel shook his head in response.
The one she should really be worried about was herself.
Nabel lip’s pressed tightly into a thin line.
He did not hold hands with anyone.
He looked at Ronee’s hand again as he contemplated that thought. 

He didn’t like his hands, just like the rest of his dead family members had. 

“It should be okay, right?” A friendly voice rang in Nabel’s head. 

Nabel looked down at the hand holding his.
It was the cause of the voice flowing into his head.
The white light that was only visible to his eyes, glowed again. 

Nabel thought of many people, the ones who didn’t know what it meant to be touch by him.
Their heads were full of lies.
Just disgusting inner thoughts, lies, and selfish desires.
People who lived only for their own benefit.

But not Ronée.

‘What a strange person.’

Ronée was a strange person indeed.
She didn’t prioritize her own well-being.
Nabel couldn’t help but be concerned.

‘Magic doesn’t affect me.’

That’s what she said… He noticed a scent of dried roses, which matched her dark pink well, when she whispered those words in his ears.

“Sit down here, my Lady.”

Upon arriving at Ronée’s room, Ryne pulled out a first aid kit as she looked at Ronée.

“Do you have any burns?” Ronne shook her head. 

The magic just didn’t work on her, all she had felt was the heat of the fire.
Nabel, who had been looking at Ronée’s hand the entire time, rolled up her sleeve.

“Ah.” 

Ronée had attempted to hide the red burn marks under her hands without realizing it.
It was her instinct to not reveal when she was hurt.
The people of the mansion secretly relished the thought of her, someone who dared to reject the gods and remain unaffected by divine magic, was injured.

‘Afterall, isn’t it just a punishment from the gods?’

She resented their laughter, so she hid it in front of others.
But now there was no need.
Ronée’s hand, which moved to conceal her wound by lowering her sleeve, dropped.

“….
Nabel.”

Nabel’s eyes widened at the voice calling his name.
Ronée’s voice resonated strangely in his ear.

“You said you were a dangerous person.”

Ryne applied ointment on her arm silently with a sad expression on her face.
Watching her movements, Ronne continued.

“But you’re not as dangerous as this place.”

At her words, Nabel unconsciously grabbed her hand.

“Hey, let me take a look at you as well.” Rin closely examined at her Ronée’s body and then turned towards Nabel.

“…”

Nabel shook his head slightly.
Even with his clear rejection, Ryne still made a fuss over Nabel’s scorched sleeves.

“It’s hard to get rid of scars, let me see.”

Ryne tried to grab Nabel’s hand to raise it.
But the moment she was about to touch Nabel, he unconsciously slapped Ryne’s hand away. 

Smack!

“…!”

Ryne flinched at his aggressive rejection.

“Oh.”

Nabel seemed surprised too.

“She won’t hurt you, Nabel.” His rough breathing began to calm down only after hearing Ronée’s words.
The voice calling his name was strangely engraved in his mind again.

“······It’s fine, if it hurts, I’ll tell you.”

Nabel still refused Ryne’s hand.
It was a far more polite response than before.
He realized that he was being harsh with the person who was offering him kindness.

Perhaps she could tell he was apologetic from his subdued tone, Ryne nodded her head.
She was able to grasp that the child had just been surprised by her actions.

“Good.” Ryne replied.
She then bowed her head to Ronée. 

“My Lady, I’ll bring you some new clothes right away.”

 “Please.”

 As Ryne moved away, Ronée turned to Nabel.
Nabel was rubbing the place where he was touched when he hit Ryne’s hand earlier.

“You don’t like your hands being touched, do you?” Ronée asked.
It was the only conclusion she could come to.

“…”

Nabel shook his head, and bit his lip.
Then he looked up at Ronée.

“It’s a secret.”

…and it could stay a secret.
Ronne turned her head away out of respect for Nabel.
But Nabel wasn’t done speaking yet.

“But I’ll tell you, I’ll only tell it to my sister.”

 Nabel took a step closer to her.
Nabel approached her as she sat in her chair and placed his hand on hers.

“If you touch it like this.”

A low voice rang out.

“I can hear other people’s thoughts.”

‘What?’

Ronée’s eyes widen, she hadn’t spoken a word.
But Nabel laughed as if he had heard her.

“I can hear the surprise in your questioning voice.
The more I touch you and the deeper the touch…”

 Nabel’s hand moved slightly from the back of Ronée’s hand to her palm.

“The deeper the thoughts I can hear.”

Ronne opened her mouth slightly.
Nabel laughed at her surprise.

“I’m only telling you, sister.
If anyone else finds out, someone will die.”

At that moment, Ronne’s shadow darkened.
The two did not see the pointy ears that appeared again or the tail that bristled in wariness.

“Not my sister, but me.”

How could he kill his savior? Nabel was a person who understood the rarity of that kindness as he had many enemies.
Through the touch of Ronée’s hand, he could hear her thoughts to never reveal his secret.

‘There were people weren’t affected by divine magic.
Surely there were people with other abilities as well.’

Her voice of acceptance.

‘Reading thoughts? Isn’t that an ability that would be coveted by others?’

And her voice of concern.

“….But why are you telling me something that’s dangerous to know?”

“Because I know that you truly believe in me,” Nabel resplied.
After a brief pause, he quietly continued.

“I wanted to tell you a secret that you could hold over me.”

‘So, if I ever betray you, you can hold it over me and wield me as you wish.’

 It was Nabel’s oath to bind himself.
It would never happen, but he vowed to betray Ronée, who had always bestowed kindness upon him.

“Ah…?” Ronée eyes widen.
Nabel smiled and their two hands touched again.
Ronée didn’t know it, but for the first time in Nabel’s life, her hand was the first hand he held on his own free will.

 

*****

 

‘I’m a dangerous person, sister.’

Contrary to what he had said, Nabel remained by her side quietly.
Ronée was the only member of the Rieda household that he spoke to.

He never spoke in front of others, especially not the Count and Countess.
Instead, he only gave hostile looks.

“That ill-mannered thing!”

 Countess Rieda was not pleased with Nabel’s gazes.

” Get rid of it!” She ordered the knights.
However, Ronée did not allow Nabel be dragged out.

“Mother has no right to throw this child out.” 

She was right, as she was the one who bought Nabel as her slave.
Nabel’s owner was Ronée, and if Ronée didn’t want him throw out, not one person in the mansion could do anything about it. 

“Cursed girl.”

They couldn’t even throw Ronée out because they were waiting for an answer from the temple.
The temple, which was originally sensitive to matters of heresy, only elaborated on one thing.

“If you find something evil, don’t release it into the world and wait.”

Perhaps because of that, Ronée was still able to stay in the mansion.

“Then pluck out those rude eyes!”

On one of the days when her magic would not activate, the Countess eventually fired the magic at Nabel.
But this time, it wasn’t a fireball, it was lightning magic.
A small dark cloud formed in the hallway, and a small lightning bolt struck at Nabel.

Bang!

As a mage ranked third out of the nine, the Countess’ magical abilities weren’t very powerful, but it was enough to harm a child.

“…!”

As soon as the Countess’ expression turned harsh, Ronée shielded Nabel.
Thanks to this, the only damage the two suffered was the slightly singed hem of Ronée’s clothes.

“Sister.”

Nabel clenched his small fists until his hands turned white.
Neither Ronna nor Nabel were hurt, but his eyes grew even darker.
The Rieda mansion, as he had observed, was indeed a very dangerous place, as Ronée stated. 

In a place where enemies were lurking everywhere, Ryne, was the only maid that treated Ronée kindly.
In this place they could only lean on each other.

“This is a household of those who worship Thuna.” said Knight Commander Devant with his chin raised and eyes full of contempt that looked down on Ronée.
He faithfully worshiped the god Thuna.

Honor was only given because of Ronée ‘s status, but there was no respect whatsoever.
That too would disappear if she was labeled as her ‘evil’ by her temple.

“So please do not cause trouble.
Do you understand?”

Bang!

 After Ronée was struck by the Countess’ lightning instead of Nabel, Knight Commander Devant effectively detained the two in her room.
She didn’t know whose order it was, but none of the people of the manor protested it.

“Who is he?”

Nabel noticed Ronne’s black charred hem, then looked Ronée over.
Fortunately, she was not injured.
It was fortunate, but Nabel was also sadden by the way she protected him.

The way she took her body for granted because she didn’t suffer any injuries.
But Nabel knew that an uninjured body didn’t mean she mean she wasn’t hurt.

“He is Knight Commander Devant.” Ronée answered while staring at the door.
Ryne moved quickly to bring her new clothes to change her into.

“Knight Commander Devant…” Nabel repeated a quiet and cold voice as if he was trying to instill the name into his memory

“He’s the one my stepmother brought here with her.”

As a faithful servant, he would raise and dedicate his sword for the god Thuna.
Ronée remembered the first time she met him.
He told her that Thuna said that people should be cherished.

But Ronée was not seen as a person here.
She was an insolent being who arrogantly refused the hands of the gods.

‘Things like that need to be sent to the side of the gods for rebirth!’

 As if unaware that such a thing like her could actually exist, there was contempt in Devant’s voice.
He was astonished that someone dared to reject the gods’ divine magic.

“….
I See.” Nabel’s cold gaze sharpened as he stared her door.

“My Lady.” At that moment Lin approached her.
She had left to get her change of clothes, but she returned was empty-handed.
With an apologetic expression, she bowed her head.

“The clothes you’re changing into aren’t dry yet.
Could you wait for an hour, my Lady?”

The maid didn’t know what to do, but Ronée nodded her head.
She understood it wasn’t Ryne’s fault that she didn’t have clothes.

It was the fault of the other servants who placed only dusty and old things into her room.
Ryne would skillfully wash and mended the clothing and made them look new.

“It’s okay,” Ronne nodded her head briefly, and Ryne bowed her head again. 

She was a person who knew how to ease her mistress when the atmosphere became heavy.
She opened her mouth with a lively voice for her precious young mistress.

“By the way, I heard a rumor from the other maids.”

Ryne stepped to the side to prepare a teacup and poured hot water from the kettle.
She hoped to attend her mistress so that she wouldn’t be bored for at least an hour.
Nabel glanced at Ryne, then back at Ronée again.

“What’s that?”

“It is said that the Imperial House of Miltan in the Western Continent has changed.”

Nabel froze.