I Reincarnated as a Noble Bastard, So I'm Seducing All the Villainess
Chapter 42: Brothers are born to not get along

Chapter 42: Brothers are born to not get along

My eyes are burning just from seeing this haggard face reflected in the bowl of soup before me. I don’t really know who was leading the charge last night, but I’m definitely the one who ended up worse off.

Moriah and I are in one of the palace rooms, enjoying breakfast. I can only manage a few spoonfuls before needing a break to digest water. Meanwhile, my companion, who kept me awake almost all night... she’s practically glowing.

At least the internal pain is gone, and there are no sore muscles from sex or anything like that. It’s just total exhaustion.

Things are spinning around me, my eyes can barely focus on the fact that Leliana is also eating with us, holding her tea with absurd calmness. Even worse, beside her, Kristia maintains a similarly pompous composure, the two act like clones of each other in a way that disgusts me.

Besides, why is that brat here? We’re supposed be far away from each other.

I don’t know how she has the nerve to be in the same room as me. Is this her mother’s trick to make me uncomfortable and apologize? Hell no. This girl keeps saying I should die, so why thank or accept someone like that?

"Soooo..." I leaned forward and put the soup bowl on the small table. "What has Leonhardt been doing?"

"Pacing up and down the palace", Leliana replied, lowering her teacup slightly. "Ever since you said that, the poor fellow can’t close his eyes to sleep and refuses to ask others to switch shifts. He’s practically killing himself. Congratulations on planting paranoia in our best inquisitor."

"Pfft, spare me. You would’ve called me crazy if people weren’t trying to kill me so often."

"Darius, I’m capable of many things, but not torture. What Leonhardt is going through is nothing less than torture... I don’t know why you still care about Ravenna’s life."

"I need her for something important."

"Can’t I do it instead of her, dear?", Moriah asked, touching my thigh. "I’ll do anything for you..."

"No. It needs to be specifically a witch. Still, I love that you’re so diligent."

"Oh, stop flattering me..."

Moriah’s wings gave a slight flutter of happiness. How do I know? Well, let’s just say parts of her body, like wings and antennae, move involuntarily when she likes something. That’s what I’ve noticed lately from having to be near this woman.

It’s a good thing she continues with this behavior, it’s less likely my heart will be ripped out by someone docile... but any day, if she has a crazy fit, I’ll run with all my soul.

"You two disgust me."

Of course, the owner of that toxic and unpleasant comment was none other than Kristia, my little sister, the one who hurled a bunch of nasty comments at me during dinner with the king, the prince, and the queen.

Hah. Don’t tell me you’re racist like Leonhardt. You could earn some points by being a decent person.

"And you still have the nerve to talk shit", I retort, looking up with effort, glaring at Kristia through the haze of my discomfort. "Your brother here is being persecuted, with a bounty on his head, just to see you open your mouth and say that."

"And what did you want? A hug? A tear rolling down my cheek? I only see a lazy pig trying to exonerate a woman we all know is a criminal."

"At least she didn’t stab me in the back at dinner with the royal family."

"I told the truth!" Kristia slammed her hand on the table. Leliana’s teacup rattled, but the woman didn’t even flinch. "You acted like an idiot, humiliated me in front of the whole family, and now you’re playing the victim! You don’t know how shameful it was for me to endure all those whispers among the servants!"

"Even greater shame is pretending to be pure while licking your mother’s boots like a trained puppy", I say, raising one corner of my mouth. "What’s wrong? Don’t have enough personality to disagree with her? Or did she forbid you?"

"Shut up!"

Kristia stood up abruptly, fists clenched and jaw tight. Her face wasn’t just angry, I could see through her eyes that there was a trace of hurt, probably still lingering from that scene at dinner.

Damn it, the worst part is I don’t feel great about this... but honestly, I want Kristia to go fuck herself. After saying those things to me, I’m not going to soften just because she’s a spoiled brat who says whatever she wants to others without facing the consequences.

"Do you think it’s easy?", she continued, her voice trembles. "You-You wallow in your own shit, dump everything on our backs, and you still want us to hold your hand? Grow up, Darius! Everyone here lives by rules and obligations! Only you have the luxury of breaking everything and still playing the victim!"

"Luxury?"

On reflex, I ended up standing. My eyebrows must have already furrowed. That word disgusts me to an absurd degree, one that comes from the depths of my soul and makes me sincerely want to slap that bitch across the face.

"You think this here is a luxury?! You think being mistreated by everyone, having to hear everyone complete strangers talking shit behind my back, and on top of that dealing with my family belittling me, is a damn luxury?"

I kicked the table. Leliana moved her teacup off, but the rest of the items rolled onto the floor. My eyes were bloodshot, and I felt my heart almost burst from so much rage.

"You yourself said that I’m alive by a mystery of fate, that I wasn’t even supposed to be here, and you come tell me to my face that it’s a luxury? I was perfectly happy alone in that abandoned house in my village, when no one bothered me about picking a fork bigger than the prince’s dick!"

"See?! You’re playing the victim again! Being here, eating until you can’t stand it, with a good bed, plenty of money, and on top of that, screwing anyone you can buy with the crumbs Dad gives you! You still complain? We pulled you out of misery, and you dare say you’re unhappy after we threw the Moonlight reputation in the trash for your sake?! What happened to you? When did you become this... this..."

"This what?"

Kristia hesitated. She bit her lips, and I knew exactly what words could come out of that mouth: monster, manipulative, and selfish. Too bad there wasn’t enough courage for anything, there seemed to be a weight at the back of her throat preventing the words from coming out.

Still, she had at least an inner strength to continue, in a low voice: "You were my brother. Now you’re just an empty person who only hurts everyone around you."

I took a slow, deep breath. The anger from before had disappeared, but my head was heavy. A lot of shit came out of my mouth, and even so, I insisted on making a point I should have kept quiet. Wonderful, Darius.

"Just shut up, Kristia. Go ahead and hate me a little more. It’ll make it easier when I’m gone for good."

She looked at me, as if trying to find some crack in my face, some trace of the brother who once held her hand when she was afraid of the dark. Unfortunately, that brother was already buried deep in memories, leaving only that cemetery silence between us.

"Then go, Darius. Leave. Don’t expect anyone to cry when you disappear from our lives."

She turned her back and left the room, slamming the door just like that time at dinner. Leliana sipped the last of her tea without taking her eyes off her daughter.

Moriah remained silent the entire scene. I was even comforted by her, with her hands on my shoulders and a caress on my neck, which I knew wasn’t enough to appease my terrible urge to vomit.

"Sit, dear. This happens to the best people. Family conflicts are normal."

I didn’t answer. I just stared at the remaining soup spilled on the floor, reflecting my disgusted, defeated face. There was no point in winning an argument, even if I won here, it’s the same as nothing. I’m going to be hated one way or another.