Episode 4
Taran Dragonia.
The moment he appeared, my face stiffened.
His last words before I died echoed in my head.
“Pathetic. If you’re just gonna keep whining like that, then die. Just die already.”
His face had been twisted in fury, his voice cracked with curses.
Yawn…
But as if none of that ever happened, the Taran before me now looked younger—yawning sleepily.
“Taran, what brings you all the way here?”
Penelope rushed past me, practically throwing me aside to greet him.
Tch.
Even in a regression, the favoritism feels so real.
Maids surrounded me where I’d collapsed,
as if trying to bury the incident and erase the evidence.
“Clean that up quickly. Before Young Master Taran sees anything unsightly!”
One of Penelope’s loyal dogs spoke without even glancing my way.
“That.”
Not even worthy of being called “her.”
The disdain made me smirk bitterly.
Even as the Grand Duke’s daughter, I was treated like this.
Because I was a half-blood.
Because my lineage was low.
Because I couldn’t prove my worth.
Hands came at me from every direction, grabbing my arms harshly.
The rough grip burned like my skin might tear.
“Ugh…!”
“Shut your mouth.”
“As if Young Master Taran would care about some half-blood’s little sob story.”
I knew.
I never expected that bastard Taran to help me.
At best, I was hoping he wouldn’t step on me.
Just as that thought crossed my mind—
Wham! Something was kicked, followed by shrieks all around me.
“Kyaa!!”
“Taran, what do you think you’re doing?!”
“Ah. I told you to move.”
The one who kicked—Taran—muttered.
“No point talking when they don’t listen. Maybe a beating will make them hear better?”
“T-Taran! What are you—ugh!!”
“Kyaaa!”
“Ack!”
With screams echoing, the maids fell into chaos.
And unfortunately, I got caught up in it too.
“Ack!”
I’m going to be crushed.
The warning shot through me—chilling.
But I didn’t resist.
Death is one of the fastest ways out of a regression.
If this isn’t even reality, who cares if I die again?
I was used to enduring pain anyway.
I was about to shut my eyes when—
Whip!—a strong hand yanked me up by the back of the neck.
“What the hell is this?”
Huff—!
The sudden release of pressure made me gasp.
In front of me were two eyes—
cold, vividly blue.
……
……
It started with false accusations.
Then I nearly got slapped, clawed at, and nearly crushed to death.
This was the worst kind of regression.
But of all of it—this right here,
facing Taran, was the worst part.
Of all the people I never wanted to see again, this piece of trash topped the list.
I’d rather take a slap from Penelope.
Even if I knew this wasn’t real,
some deep part of me still burned with rage.
The shock of being nearly crushed made my eyes well with tears that spilled over.
“…Will someone explain this?”
Through my blurred vision, Taran’s face twisted.
His usually lazy, indifferent face looked… angry?
Why would he be angry?
No, that makes no sense.
I blinked, stunned, and fresh tears slid down my cheek.
Maybe it was my imagination,
but I thought I saw Taran flinch at the sight.
“…Well. Penelope, explain yourself.”
His voice sliced the air—suddenly cold.
“T-Taran…”
Penelope’s voice, muffled behind him, sounded like she was trembling.
I didn’t have to see her face to know—
Taran’s icy blue eyes must’ve been terrifying.
That bastard was always like this.
All lazy smirks one moment—
eyes full of violence the next.
And his mouth?
Still curled in a faint smile.
That was what made him terrifying—
You never knew when, where, or how he’d snap.
The Mad Dog of Dragonia.
That was Taran’s unofficial title.
Facing him head-on, Penelope’s complexion turned pale.
“I-I just… Aaagh!”
Crack!
Taran’s hand clamped down on Penelope’s shoulder.
Veins bulged from his fingers, like he could rip it off.
“Aaaaack!!”
Just moments ago she’d been threatening and accusing me—
but I felt no sympathy.
Still,
the sheer force of it left me overwhelmed.
Fear crawled up my spine instinctively.
The Western Dragonia bloodline.
It was said they inherited superhuman strength, powers, and abilities.
Penelope Warszawa.
But it wasn’t just their strength they inherited—
they got the cold, inhuman cruelty too.
“Didn’t I tell you not to make me repeat myself?”
Taran, practically the poster boy for that rumor,
dragged Penelope’s face closer and growled.
From the side, not even facing me,
he looked vicious.
“I-I’ll talk! Just, please, let go—!”
“Oh?”
Taran widened his eyes in fake surprise.
“Oh my, Aunt Penelope. Did that hurt?”
His voice was suddenly gentle, pleasant.
Like he hadn’t just been threatening her.
“My mistake. Didn’t realize. Whoops.”
He let go casually, then patted her shoulder like nothing had happened.
“There, all better now?”
“Ugh… nghh…”
She looked anything but better.
“Then tell me.”
He clearly hadn’t seen what happened.
“Who did that to her?”
“T-Taran, I…”
Penelope finally managed a syllable,
but whether from pain or fear, she couldn’t finish.
She just stood there, lips trembling.
“You what? Gonna say I’ll get punished next?”
Taran smirked, then suddenly grabbed her jaw and shoved his fingers into her mouth.
“!?”
Gasps spread across the room.
Penelope’s eyes bulged in horror.
“Mm! Mmmph!!”
“Huh… tongue seems fine to me?”
Taran tilted his head like he was testing a hypothesis.
Even as his own aunt whimpered, he looked puzzled.
“Something wrong with it? Want me to check more thoroughly?”
He smiled and started to press harder,
like he really might rip her tongue out.
Everyone froze in horror.
“…Let go of her!!
I couldn’t take it anymore—I screamed.
Not for Penelope’s sake.
I couldn’t breathe.
It was for me.
Taran still hadn’t let go of me.
Sure, I was small, but I still weighed a good amount.
And yet he was holding me like I was a kitten—
effortlessly light and dangling by the scruff of my neck.
Being suspended like that made my clothes bunch at the collar,
choking me.
Screw gravity.
I had no choice but to squirm,
reaching for Taran’s arm just to stay alive—
but the bastard kept moving,
making it impossible to grab hold.
No one could even cut in.
I’d endured long enough.
This was it.
“Let me go, you psycho!”
“Huh? Me?”
Taran blinked.
“Did you just call me a psycho?”
He pointed to himself with mock innocence.
“Yeah! Cough—How long are you planning to hold me?!”
“Ah.”
Taran, looking dazed, finally loosened his grip.
It was so sudden that I dropped like a sack of bricks—
my body hit the floor and rolled straight into the wall.
Thud!
“Owww…”
“You hurt?”
Taran’s face popped up above mine.
He tilted his head, genuinely curious.
“Hm… your eyes are red. Did someone hit you?”
He stared at me, then widened his eyes.
Only then did I realize how messed up my limbs looked.
Was it from being crushed?
From being pinched and yanked?
Maybe both.
Either way, I didn’t want to look at him.
Didn’t want to talk to him.
I turned my head away.
“Interesting.”
Taran muttered.
“Who dared lay hands on the Grand Duke’s daughter of Dragonia?”
…??
My eyes widened.
Did Taran just call me the Grand Duke’s daughter of Dragonia?
Since when did he acknowledge me like that?
He didn’t even treat me like a sibling before—
he rarely even called me “youngest.”
Did I mishear?
Even in a regression, that didn’t make sense.
I wasn’t the only one shocked.
“Gasp!” squealed the maids.
But of course…
“Taran! The Divine Beast’s Relic! It’s missing!”
Penelope wasn’t done.
Quick on her feet as always,
her maids chimed in.
“Yes! Madam searched the entire castle, conducted thorough inspections—
all for the sake of the Grand Duke’s house and for Young Master Taran!”
“Surely you know how devoted Madam has been? She hasn’t slept, she’s been everywhere—”
“Some of the staff even testified. Sadly, it appears the Grand Duke’s daughter—”
They buried the room in frantic TMI and neatly slipped my false accusation back in.
As expected, Taran scowled at the noise.
“I didn’t steal it.”
I had said that a hundred times.
Begged it in dreams.
But no one ever listened.
Still, this time was different.
“Clearly, she keeps denying it because she’s ashamed…”
You’re the one who stole it, Penelope.
And this time,
I know the truth.
To be continued…
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