The Villainous Noble Son Wants to Capture His Stepsister! - Chapter 6

SIDE: Heliotrope

A young boy was swinging his sword with all his might.

But his stance was unsteady, his form sloppy—his lower body swayed while his upper body flailed.

It only took a few dozen swings before his body was trembling from exertion. It was painfully obvious how little he had ever exercised.

Not that it wasn’t already obvious, just by looking at the thick layer of fat covering his body.

And yet—he never complained.

No matter how difficult, no matter how much strain he was under, he simply gritted his teeth and endured.

What was pushing him so far?

I found myself recalling yesterday’s events.

◇

The despicable slave collar that had bound me for so long—

Had been removed.

Without hesitation, I seized my hidden knife.

In a single swift motion, I swung it sideways, aiming for the boy’s throat.

“Swift—!”

“!!”

The blade nearly sliced into his flesh—

But I stopped just before it could sever his neck.

The tip of the knife pressed against his skin, cutting just deep enough to draw a single bead of bl00d that slid down his throat.

“…………”

I locked eyes with him, my blade still poised to end his life with the smallest movement.

His plump body was frozen in fear, his teeth chattering uncontrollably, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

It was a pathetic sight—hardly fitting for the heir to a duchy.

And yet—

Even as his entire body trembled,

His eyes never looked away from mine.

◇

I was born into a noble Earl’s family in a northern country.

My father had been captain of the knights, a man deeply trusted by the king.

My mother had once been a knight herself before dedicating herself to supporting my father.

Both had been strict yet kind, and because of them, I was happy.

But that happiness ended in an instant.

A neighboring kingdom, hungry for conquest, invaded our land without warning.

In that war, my parents went missing.

And I, still just a child, was captured and sold into slavery.

Dragged far from my homeland, I was eventually brought to this foreign country.

And the one who purchased me?

A mere child.

A duke’s son, they said—yet he was so bloated and soft it was clear he had never even held a sword.

Undoubtedly spoiled rotten.

The smug grin on his face made me sick.

The moment I was led out of my cage, he looked at me and jeered,

“I bought you, so how about showing some gratitude?”

At that moment, I had never felt such overwhelming murderous intent in my life.

If not for the slave contract’s restraints, I would have strangled him right then and there.

From that day on, I endured.

Nobles were meant to protect their people.

That was what my parents had taught me.

That was why I had trained with the sword from a young age.

I had once dreamed of becoming a knight like them.

But that dream was shattered.

My parents were gone.

My future as a knight was gone.

And instead of protecting the weak, I was forced to serve an arrogant noble brat—

A fool who treated commoners as playthings.

Everything about him disgusted me.

His vulgar gaze.
His crude speech.
His repulsive smirk.

Every single thing about him made my skin crawl.

For now, he was just a child.

But once he grew older, I knew exactly what he would expect of me.

The thought alone was revolting.

When that time came…

I had already decided—I would kill him.

The knife I kept strapped to my thigh was for that moment.

Even if it meant my own death, I would make sure to take him with me.

And yet…

One day, after falling from a horse, the boy changed completely.

He stopped treating the servants harshly.
More than that, he started thanking them.

He gave up his excessive luxuries.
More than that, he started sharing his treats with the staff.

He began exercising to lose weight.
More than that, he started studying the subjects he had ignored for years.

And then—

He came to me and “asked” me to teach him swordsmanship.

Why?

If he had simply commanded me, I wouldn’t have been able to refuse.

And yet—he chose to give me a choice.

Did he truly, genuinely intend to change?

So I gave him a condition.

“Remove the slave collar.”

Show me how serious you really are.

For a moment, he hesitated—his gaze lowering.

Then, almost immediately, he lifted his head again.

And reached for my collar.

◇

I kept my knife pressed to his throat, staring directly into his eyes.

The bl00d dripping from his neck stained his collar red.

“…………”

“…………”

“I despise you.”

“And right now, I could kill you with ease.”

“So tell me—what will you do?”

His eyes widened for just a moment.

Then, for the first time, his face became truly serious as he spoke.

“I am truly sorry for everything.”

“No matter what you say to me—no matter what you do—I won’t resist.”

“Even so… I swallow my pride and ask you this—please, teach me. I want to become stronger.”

How absurdly convenient.

How utterly shameless.

How entirely selfish.

And yet—

How painfully honest.

I lowered my knife.

Turning my back to him, I muttered just one thing.

“…I won’t go easy on you.”

His reply was filled with such obvious joy that I didn’t even need to see his face to know.

◇

“…Ghh—!”

A strangled cry—like a squashed frog—echoed through the training grounds, snapping me back to the present.

A moment later, a loud thud.

He had collapsed.

“Young Master!!”

Sebastian rushed over in a panic.

This had become a daily occurrence, and yet his dedication never wavered.

What an incredibly loyal man.

I still despised this arrogant young noble.

Yes, he had improved.

But it had only been a week or so.

Who knew when he might change his mind and revert to his old ways?

I remembered every single insult.

Every single humiliation.

Even so…

Just for a little while longer…

Perhaps I could continue being his maid.