I Raised the Villain’s Daughter Too Well

From that day on, for several days, the Seriratus estate was steeped in sorrow and tension.

The funeral of Duke Pitus was held with the grandeur and solemnity befitting the stature of the house. Countless nobles and officials from across the Empire came to pay their respects, and even the Emperor himself attended in person to express his condolences.
But beneath that grief, every member of the household was struggling to stay afloat.
Maclaine worked tirelessly, day and night, to maintain the stability of the house in the wake of the unprecedented assassination of its master. At the same time, he personally directed a covert investigation to uncover the identity of the poisoner.

The Marquess House of Laurencia was the primary suspect, but they flatly denied all involvement—and instead loudly called for the Imperial House to conduct a thorough investigation.
Even the Empire’s own inquiry yielded no results. The poison used in the crime was extremely rare and difficult to trace, and the servant who had handed the glass to the Duke had vanished without a trace since that day. Everything about it pointed to a meticulously orchestrated crime.
And the most important figure of all—Firnea—

She never once appeared throughout the funeral.
It was as if she could not believe her father was truly gone.
She shut herself away in her room, refusing meals and declining to meet with anyone.

Though the physician continued to insist on absolute rest, it was becoming clear that, left like this, both Firnea’s body and spirit would fall apart.
Each day, I brought her meals and left them outside her door, speaking to her softly.
“My Lady, it’s time to eat. You must try to have at least a little.”

“My Lady, the weather is lovely today. Perhaps a short walk in the garden would do you good.”
“My Lady, I’ve deciphered another part of the dwarven book. There’s quite a bit of fascinating material.”
But the door remained firmly shut, and no response ever came.

According to the maids, she simply lay in bed, staring into empty space. At night, they sometimes heard her sobbing quietly.
After about a week had passed, I decided I could no longer stand by.
Even if the Scar of Obedience interpreted my actions as disobeying my master and dragged me to death—it couldn’t be helped.

—If this continues, Firnea will break.
I took a deep breath and knocked on her door.
Still, there was no answer.
“My Lady, I’m coming in.”

I slowly opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was dark, the curtains drawn, the air heavy and still.
Firnea was lying on her side on the bed. Having neither eaten nor slept properly for days, her face had gone pale, and the shadows beneath her eyes were deep.

Her once-brilliant blue eyes had lost all focus. They were empty.
“Get out…”
She murmured weakly.

At the sight—I clenched my teeth.
“I’m sorry, My Lady. But if this goes on—”
“I told you to get out!”

Firnea suddenly screamed.
Blue mana rippled around her in unstable waves.
Objects in the room began to shake faintly. She was moments away from losing control.

But I didn’t even blink. Instead, I stepped closer to the bed and knelt beside it.
The mana tore at my skin. Blood trickled from my shoulder, but I paid it no mind.
“Hh…”

Surprisingly, it was Firnea who looked startled. She hadn’t expected me to stay. Her mana faded abruptly in panic.
“I… I didn’t do anything wrong. You could’ve dodged…”
“My Lady.”

I looked straight into her eyes.
“Your sorrow is natural. So is your anger. But you cannot let those feelings consume you and abandon everything.”
“What do you know… If you don’t understand, then just go away…”

Tears fell from her eyes.
“I can’t claim to understand your grief completely. But I am here, My Lady. I will remain by your side until you stand again—and even after that.”
I reached out and gently held her cold hand.

“My Master’s final command to me… was to protect you. I will carry out that command—no matter what happens.”
Firnea tried to pull her hand away—but she had no strength. She only wept, clutching my hand tightly.
“Why… Why did Father have to die… Why am I the only one left…”

“You are not alone, My Lady.”
I held her hand even more firmly.
“I am here. Chief Butler Maclaine is here. Everyone in this house is here. We will all be your strength.”

I paused for a moment—then lowered my voice.
“And… don’t you want revenge?”
It wasn’t a commendable suggestion—

But sorrow has its limits. Anger does not. She needed something to redirect the torrent of emotion.
At those words, her sobs briefly stopped. A faint light flickered back into her hollow eyes.
“Shouldn’t you be the one to judge those who did this to your father, with your own hands?”

I met her gaze, speaking with quiet conviction.
“I will give everything I have to help you do just that—whether it’s magic, swordsmanship, knowledge, even assassination techniques. Whatever you want, I will teach you.”
It wasn’t only because of the Scar of Obedience. It was my true resolve.

Four years—it may have been short, but during that time, the House of Seriratus had been a stable, generous place for me.
And my grief over Pitus’s murder had more than surpassed the threshold for vengeance.
Firnea said nothing for a long time. She simply stared into my eyes.

In that gaze, I saw sadness, rage, confusion—and the faintest spark of hope.
At last, Firnea spoke, her voice trembling.
“…You’ll really… really help me?”

“Yes, My Lady. With my life.”
At my answer, tears fell once more from her eyes.
But this time, they were not tears of despair.

“It hurts… It hurts so much, Virdem…”
Firnea clasped my hand in return, speaking in a voice barely above a whisper.
“For now… I don’t want to think about the future. I have to face the fact that I’ll never see Father again…”

“Then don’t think about it. Focus only on the present.”
“I will.”
Her eyes had completely changed.

The sorrow remained—but beneath it now lay a cold, steely resolve and fury.
“I will.”
That day, she stepped over her father’s death.

 
****
[Variable detected.]

“Eh? What is this?”
 
****

A few days later, Lady Firnea rose from her bed.
Sorrow still cast a shadow over her face, but the hollow emptiness that once consumed her had vanished.
In its place stood a will far beyond her years.
The first thing she did was summon Chief Butler Maclaine and me.

Seated in the study, dressed properly for the first time in days, she no longer resembled the mischievous girl of old.
She looked like a young queen.
“Maclaine, thank you. You’ve worked hard.”
Her voice was calm, yet it carried the weight of someone who had become the true master of the household.

“You honor me, My Lady. I merely did what I must.”
Maclaine bowed his head, a mixture of relief and emotion on his face.
“Was Father’s funeral handled properly?”

“Yes, My Lady. Nobles from all over the Empire attended and paid their respects. His Majesty the Emperor himself—”
“That’s enough. Ceremonies like that don’t matter to me.”
Firnea paused, then lowered her head, struggling to speak.

“—I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I, his daughter, didn’t attend the funeral. Politically and personally, that was inexcusable.”
“Absolutely not! Please don’t say such things!”
Maclaine turned pale and dropped to his knees.

“Please raise your head. If anyone is to blame, it is this old man who accomplished nothing. Even if I died a hundred, a thousand times, it would not be enough—I cannot accept your apology.”
“…Thank you, even if you’re just being kind. But…”
Firnea’s voice trembled as she asked,

“Have we found any leads on the culprit?”
At that, Maclaine’s face darkened again.
“Not yet, My Lady. Neither the Imperial investigation nor our own has found conclusive evidence. The culprit was meticulous. The poison used is untraceable. The servant who handed over the glass… has vanished without a trace.”

“What about the Laurencia family?”
“They remain the prime suspects, but there’s no physical proof. On the contrary, they’re cleverly claiming to be victims themselves. In truth, they’ve gained nothing from this, and in fact, have suffered losses.”
Firnea shut her eyes briefly and bit her lip.
I could feel her mana waver with rage—but she barely managed to hold it back.

“I understand. Then from now on—I’ll take matters into my own hands.”
Both Maclaine and I were taken aback by her declaration.
“My Lady, that’s far too dangerous! You’re still so young—”

“I can’t keep hiding behind excuses, Maclaine. Father is gone now. I am the head of the Seriratus family. And with my own hands—I’ll find the one responsible and take revenge.”
Her eyes didn’t waver. Maclaine hesitated—but then understood that her resolve could not be broken.
“…If that «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» is your will, My Lady, then we will serve you with everything we have. You will have the full support of the family’s information network and all of our resources.”

“Thank you, Maclaine.”
She turned to him briefly, then looked to me.
“Virdem.”

“Yes, My Lady.”
“You promised me. That you’d teach me anything I wanted.”
“I did.”

“Then start today.”
She rose from her seat and stepped toward me.
She still only came up to my chest—but the energy radiating from her was enough to overwhelm me.

“Make me strong. Not just in magic, but in swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and assassination techniques. I don’t want to be helpless again.”
“Understood.”
“Teach me how to survive among nobles. How to see through their lies, use their schemes, and if necessary—crush them.”

“With pleasure.”
“And lastly…”
She paused for a moment, then looked deeply into my eyes.

“…Don’t leave my side. Not until my revenge is complete.”
It was a command—but she didn’t demand obedience.
If anything, her voice bordered on a plea.
I felt the Scar of Obedience on my shoulder flare hotly.

But there was no reason to refuse.
I dropped to one knee and gently kissed the back of her hand.
“I will dedicate everything I have to serve you, My Lady.”