MTMT 32

Chapter 32

Discord

“Oppa, sniffle, I thought you were going to die!”

Ionia threw herself onto Philip, who was lying on the bed reading a book, and burst into tears. Unlike Ferdinand, their half-brother who had nearly been killed in an assassination attempt but never once came to visit her in the hospital, Philip was entirely different.

“I’m alive, see?”

“No, Oppa! Do you know how scary that was? Sob sob sniffle!”

Ionia hiccupped as she glanced at Philip’s injured areas.

“Oppa, don’t die and leave me.”

“……”

“There’s no one else to play with me but you, Oppa.”

In Ionia’s mind, Ferdinand wasn’t her older brother. Philip saw only a completely innocent little sister. Unaware of the truth, she cried simply because she feared her brother might die—innocent and… pitiful.

‘Your mother tried to kill me.’

It seemed absurd to him. The child, unaware of anything, just cried out of worry. Hearing her cries made Philip tired. This child’s mother had tried to kill him. What would become of this child when she grew up? She wouldn’t remain ignorant forever.

The king had been furious over the incident. Though he was a superficial father, there was no denying he had a sense of justice. He was also enraged that someone had dared to harm his bloodline.

No one could claim ignorance of the mastermind behind it. Though indecisive, the king wasn’t completely incompetent. Regardless, he had heavily pressured the queen, who was now under a restraining order.

The assassins were all dead, and no one remained to be tracked. Would he live with the constant thought that someone might attack him again? Or rather… could he even live at all?

“Ionia.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t hate you.”

“What do you mean?”

Philip chuckled and slowly patted Ionia’s head. Hatred achieves nothing. He repeated that truth to himself over and over.

“Princess Brienne is resting today, right?”

“No? She rested yesterday. Of course, today she’s with me!”

Ionia’s smile made Philip’s expression shift. Wait, is she crazy? Philip got up from his seat.

“Ugh…!”

“Oppa, what’s wrong?!”

“Ah, really…”

He limped. The wound ached as if it might tear open.

“Oppaa! It’s that, isn’t it?”

Ionia grinned mischievously.

“That?”

“Love! Even if it hurts, you still want to see Anne. Oppa likes our sister.”

“Anne… what kind of weird title is that?”

“Because it’s cute!”

Philip ground his teeth. Even though his leg wasn’t fully healed, she still worked as a maid? No matter how terrifying the queen was, the queen couldn’t monitor anyone while under a restraining order. And since she wasn’t present, she wouldn’t even suspect a connection between a thirteen-year-old girl and a magical quill.

He could have just said he was resting because of the pain, yet she insisted… She was strange.

As he left his room, he encountered Diana standing there. He wanted to grab her immediately but couldn’t move.

Diana was annoyingly perfect. Even her walk was flawless, which only fueled his anger.

“Your Highness.”

Diana held her skirt and bowed slightly. Her leg didn’t seem to hurt at all, despite bleeding so badly! Philip clicked his tongue in irritation.

“I heard about your situation. Are you well?”

Her calm question made his blood boil. She looked just as pathetic, yet she spoke as if nothing happened. Philip ruffled his hair, trying to suppress his anger. He was next to Ionia—any misstep could alert the queen, and Ionia’s maids were loyal to her. He had to be careful.

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

He glared at Diana as he spoke.

“Ionia.”

“Huh?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Okay! What is it?”

Children her age wouldn’t normally be this diligent.

“Read to me all day today.”

“Why? Why?”

“I’m really bored. Playing alone is so hard. You help.”

Philip returned to his room. Ionia eagerly fetched a book. Seeing the list, Philip froze. Ugh, not this book… Ionia’s taste in books was… intense.

As Ionia got ready to read, Philip frowned at her maids.

“I don’t like too many people. It’s chaotic.”

“Okay, then everyone leave except Anne.”

Ah, truly clueless! But the worst part of clueless people is when they assume they’re clever. Philip ultimately agreed to bring a chair and listened to Princess Ionia read.

“The traveler entered the room and saw the owner boiling something in a huge pot.”

“……”

“The moment he saw the protruding fingernails, he ran in panic…”

Between her mana pet and her books, why did she always like these things? Ionia loved horror stories, especially with gruesome details.

“The owner chasing after him held a knife. Blood dripped, forming flower-like patterns…”

Philip glanced at Diana, who seemed bored and was reading another book. Curious, he looked at the cover:

“How to Become the Easiest Elementalist”

What is this?

“You Can Do It! Become an Elementalist in 100 Days!”
“The Complete Guide from Elementalist Peco!”
“Free Mini-Book of Key Concepts Included!”

Seeing her calmly reading such a garish book, Philip stiffened. She looked like the type to enjoy lady’s novels or history, so why suddenly an absurd elementalist book? His head ached inexplicably.

“Ah… ugh…”

Diana almost collapsed as soon as she stepped down from the carriage. Her injured leg throbbed. Pretending all was fine, the wound had twisted slightly. Probably bleeding again.

“Come down here.”

“The maids?”

“The head maid is organizing the kitchen separately.”

Diana nodded. She rested her hand on Giskar’s arm and limped freely. When she reached the stairs…

“Now walk up the stairs… uh!”

Giskar stretched out and lifted her. She wanted to protest but gave up. Why act like this if everything was fine? Yesterday, she had followed Princess Shasha closely. This proximity was unfamiliar—even in her past life, she had never been this intimate with Giskar. What would past-life Giskar think of this…?

“What are you doing?”

A cold voice made Diana snap back to attention. It was Emil. Seeing Giskar holding Diana, Emil gritted his teeth in anger.

He suddenly approached and slapped Giskar’s cheek. Giskar tightened his hold on Diana. Did he even realize how close Diana nearly fell? Diana looked up at Emil, then at Giskar who had been struck.

Put me down.

She pushed Giskar as if saying that, but his grip didn’t loosen.

“You brought a slave just to do this?” Emil huffed.

“Giskar, put her down.”

Giskar finally obeyed.

“Emil, don’t say that. He’s just carrying me because my leg is injured.”

“Your leg is injured? How?”

“Long story.”

Simultaneously, Emil lifted Diana’s skirt, revealing her ankle and drawers.

“Ah!”

Her face flushed crimson. What is he doing? Why my skirt…! Diana had always been modest and had never experienced anything like this. It was as if a courtesan were being mocked.

Why would my brother humiliate me like this! Diana slapped Emil’s cheek. Emil raised his hand but smiled coldly.

Pain!

“Ahhhhh!”

At the same time, Giskar’s scream echoed. Red light poured from the restraint. Giskar clutched his neck and writhed in agony.

Wait, what is this?

The pain of the restraint? Diana’s eyes widened seeing him drooling and flushed with agony.

“Emil, stop it! Emil!”

Diana screamed. Giskar’s cries of pain echoed. She gripped Emil and shook him.

“I said stop!”

“The one who dared to glance at their master is at fault!”

“I’m the one who hit him! Hit me instead!”

Diana yelled.

“Fine, you asked to be hit…”

“Oppa!”

Alexa rushed out of the room. Her eyes widened like a rabbit’s. Seeing Giskar screaming on the floor, she shrieked and fell. She looked up at Emil, terrified.

Release!

Emil removed the spell. Giskar clutched his neck, coughing.

“Really hurt, huh.”

Diana shivered from humiliation. Was he always like this? Emil in her past life was sometimes irritable but never like this. He had been a moderately caring older brother. But now, because she had driven Mirva out, he displayed hostility and humiliated her.

“Brother Emil…”

“Why?”

“How could you do this to me?”

Emil scoffed, ignoring her. She always demanded conversation; he always mocked it.

“How could I do this? Hahaha.”

He mimicked her tone mockingly. Diana’s eyes turned cold.

“I’ll never forget the humiliation you caused me, Oppa.”

Diana warned coldly. Emil said nothing, laughing. Even her anger was funny to him.

The next day, Emil’s room door slammed open.

“You brat! What are you doing now?!”

Duke Brienne stormed in, face red. Emil, pretending to study, was startled. The Duke handed over documents.

Emil was a student at the Academy in Talin, the capital of Panborough. His face went pale.

The real report card had arrived—not a forged one. Bad timing—the professor’s academic warning letter had also arrived, though it had been bribed away by a servant. How could this happen?

“I saw it! Bullying commoner kids?!”

“That’s….”

“That’s not the problem! Is it true you got beaten while bullying them?!”

Emil couldn’t respond. The Duke was normally polite and dignified. Could he forgive his son acting completely contrary?

“What’s the matter, Father?”

A calm voice spoke. Emil recognized it—it was Diana. She entered the room, surprised, and looked at Emil.

She saw the documents in her father’s hands and gasped, covering her mouth as she looked at Emil.

“Brother Emil, weren’t you always good in your studies? What is this….”

Diana’s nonchalant expression made Emil realize—it was her doing.