Chapter 4

Cyan was not a fool. Of course he knew that what Eugene is holding now was a spear, and he knew that he was wielding a spear to practice.

But he had never seen such an ignorant practice. Wearing a chain vest larger than his body, hanging sandbags from both arms, swinging and stabbing with the spear that has sandbags hanging. Can you even call this as practice?

At least there was no such practice in Cyan’s head. Ignorant and violent. Without the art of balance, but only wielding and stabbing recklessly. To the point he can’t even keep his body properly and stumble around?

‘You are just a son from a village. You’re just seeking for attention.’

That chain vest. It’s big, but the iron purity must be cheap because it’s a mess. That means, it’s not as heavy as it looks.

And that sandbag. It looks thick at first glance, but seeing how much it moves while hanging from its body, it must be thick outside but almost empty inside.

‘Even if you’re seeking attention, you’re just an attention seeker. I’ve learned how to play tricks like that.’ Cyan understood that country bumpkins who might be stuck somewhere, the lowest rank in the field. Maybe he heard something from his parents and did something like that from the first day.

He can’t get anyone’s attention without making a dirty trick. Although the tricks are very funny.

But…

He was angered because a random countryside boy dare to say he is stupid. Cyan gasped and pointed his finger at Eugene.

“Apologize.”

“What.”

“Apologize for saying that I am stupid!”

“I’m sorry.” Eugene answered straight away. However, the apology was not satisfactory because Cyan couldn’t feel the sincerity. He raised his eyes and raised the tip of his chin.

“Bow down, respectfully!”

“You’re the same age as me, aren’t you?”

Eugene asked without bowing.

“You’re 13 years old, too. I’m 13 years old, too. We’re the same age. What do I supposed to do?”

“You can’t be my friend!”

“I am not seeking friendship? But aren’t you the one that talked to me first?”

What am I doing now? Eugene kicked his tongue feeling pathetic. If he adds up to the age before he died, he will easily be over half a hundred years old. He feels sad to argue with a 13-year-old boy as a grown up, but his opponent was a descendant of Vermouth.

‘What should I do? My past life is my past life. Now I’m 13 years old, too.’

“What’s wrong with your accent? Don’t you know how I practice the spear properly but also you question me about my affairs, don’t you have the proper manners?”

“This…”

Cyan’s eyes shake in constant retort of words. This kind of childish argument was unfamiliar to him because he had been growing up as a pampered boy since he was young.

“You’re so annoying…”

The biggest advantage of a child is that it is okay to force one’s feelings.

Eugene was not used to this kind of verbal bickering.

Cyan strode up to Eugene’s nose.

“He doesn’t even know the subject. Even if your last name is Lionhart, it doesn’t mean you’re a pure Lionhart.”

“I know. I am a Branch member and you are direct descendant.”

Eugene raised his finger to point to the mansion house.

“Your house is over there. My house is… Either way. Anyway, stay away from here.”

“You know that, but you’re so arrogant?”

“I’ve never poked around. I’m just telling you the truth that you asked for. You asked me what I was doing. So I told you what I was doing. You asked me to apologize? I apologized.”

“You’re so cheeky.”

Cyan put his nose near Eugene.

“And your body smells bad. It smell of cow dung from the countryside! The smell of sweat! Very, very bad.”

“I’ve never been near cow dung in my whole life, and I never smelled like a cow dung.”

“Then it smells like your poop! Anyway, it’s very dry.”

“I’m going to wash up a little later.”

“No, wash up now. Wash up! Also, clean up the carriage were you came from.”

“Carriage?”

“Because the smell of your body’s poo is on the sheet! Clean it up!”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you’re making our family’s carriage smell very bad!”

Cyan gave a deep shout. Because the distance was close, saliva splashes whenever he shouts.

Eugene took a step back, frowning in his eyes.

He just stepped back because he didn’t want to get soaked with saliva, but Cyan thought otherwise and gave a superior smile at Eugene.

“You must bow your head and apologize. I haven’t accepted your apology yet. You called me stupid and I didn’t know manners. Everything…”

“Nina.”

Eugene looked back at Nina without listening to Cyan until the end.

“Yes, yes.”

“You’re my only servant, aren’t you?”

“Yes… I may not be of your help, but I’m temporarily serving as your exclusive servant.”

“Then go clean the carriage I rode in. Don’t just stand there blanking out in the sun.”

“…yes?”

Of course, if Cyan and Ciel were to step down, Nina would come forward and clean the wagon first. Before that, it is reasonable for Eugene to order her.

But Nina couldn’t understand giving such an order under the circumstances. She wonders if those evil twins are just around the corner. Eugene’s behavior was a blatant disregard for Cyan’s orders.

“What did you order her to do??”

“Cleaning the carriage.”

“You do it yourself!”

“Why would I do that myself?”

“I told you to do it!”

“Who are you to command me?”

“I’m… I’m Cyan Lionhart.”

“Yes, I’m Eugene Lionhart. Let’s get along well.”

Eugene shook his hand with a look of annoyance. Then Ciel grinned with her hands around her mouth.

“I’m Ciel Lionheart.” said Ciel, while giggling. Cyan took a deep breath only after a glimpse of his mean Sister.

“I… don’t get along with you.”

“That’s too bad.”

“You ignored my orders.”

“I’m not in a position to take your orders.”

“And… and you insulted me.”

“Oh, my God.”

Eugene responded to his words sarcastically as if he were adding a few more salt to the wound. The more so, the more anger wriggled in Cyan’s heart.

Why am I doing this with him? 

I’m not facing that country boy to do this. 

If I told him to do so, he should not talk back and just followed my orders.

Cyan’s head was filled with stubbornness.

“What are you going to do?” Ciel clung to his brother’s side and blinked her eyes full of expectations.

“Duel.”

I didn’t want to be ignored rather than to live up to my sister’s expectations.

That country boy ignored me this much, and if I didn’t do anything, my sister would tease me for days. 

“You ignored me and insulted me. That’s why we have to fight.”

“That’s a lot of logic.”

Eugene was dumbfounded with laughter. He didn’t know that a 13-year-old boy would ask for a duel.

“Friend, duel isn’t that easy to do.”

“Who’s your friend?”

“So I am not a friend? Anyway, don’t say anything unnecessary and just go. Don’t bother me.”

“Are you scared?”

Cyan raised his chin as if he knew it. It was an obvious provocation, but Eugene kept his eyes open and stared at Cyan.

“Scared?”

“Yeah, you’re scared. If you’re afraid to fight with me, apologize quickly.”

“What if I am not scared, I just don’t want to fight and I don’t want to apologize?”

“You don’t even know what honor is?”

“I know it’s not something you should say easily with your mouth.”

“You’re insulting me again?”

He felt insulted every time the country boy talked back to him. Cyan put his hand in his arms without holding back any longer.

“Don’t.” Eugene said with a grimace in his eyes.

“Duel isn’t something you should carelessly do.”

‘What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with me?’

Cyan took out his handkerchief, staring at Eugene with his eyes wide open.

“If you’re afraid, tell me you’re afraid! I don’t like it. I don’t like it. Don’t run away with it! Did you not learn what honor is from your parents?!”

“Huh.”

Eugene’s head tilted at the shouting. When he stared at him, Cyan was inwardly pleased at the thought that the provocation had worked. Then he opened his handkerchief wide open and held out.

“This is really the last time. Ask for forgiveness. And…”

“Throw it.”

Eugene said, loosening the knot in the sandbag.

“You said you want a duel. Then throw it quickly.”

“…huh?”

“Throw it.”

Thump! The sandbag in the left arm fell to the ground. Cyan’s expression hardened by the muddy dust.

“…You…”

“That handkerchief. Aren’t you going to throw it?”

Thump! The sandbag from his right arm fell, too. Eugene even took off his chain vest and threw it in the back. The far-fetched vest falls to the floor and makes a heavy sound. Cyan opened his mouth at the sight.

“Wow.”

Note: For the first translation I was using Sean as Cyan’s name but because I wanted it to be paired with her twin, Ciel, I changed it to Cyan. So if there are Sean remaining, they are Cyan.

Ciel, who was enjoying herself like a stranger, also exclaimed at the sight. Eugene leaned down and took off the sandbag hung on his legs.

“…You’ve trained your mana…”

Cyan was surprised and open-mouthed until just now. His  face twisted and got angry. A child in Countryside should not train Mana until the blood ceremony. It was a long tradition of the Lionnhart family. Only the children of their home could train Mana from an early age and take real weapons.

Now, the tradition was trampled on before his eyes. It was impossible to deal with simple meanness and anger.

“I didn’t train.”

Eugene replied with a sour look. It wasn’t a lie.

Mana training. I’ve been able to do it since I was a toddler, but I haven’t trained for it.

It was because he didn’t want to make his father, Jehard, be in a difficult position for no reason, and because he was reborn as a descendant of Vermouth, he wanted to use his mana training method.

“The obvious lie…! How can you handle the weight without Mana training?!”

“I’ve been doing it since I was seven.”

“Don’t lie!”

“Why do you keep lying to me even though you haven’t done it before. If you doubt it, check it out with a duel.”

Eugene sat on the floor and unpacked the sandbag from the spear. Cyan, who was glaring at the scene, felt her sister’s anticipated gaze. He was terrified and felt Nina’s gaze. The servants of the detached house were also standing by the window, showing interest in the disturbance of the banquet hall.

It was Cyan who put the duel in his mouth first. It was Cyan who took out a handkerchief first, and Eugene who said no and spoke of honor. So now he have not been able to retreat, and the crime of training Mana before the blood ceremony has been added to the subject of dissipation.

So he should punish them. If he shut his mouth here and step back, it was clear that his sister would teased him for life, not just for a few days. First, Cyan picked up a wooden sword that was around him. It was a wooden sword that Eugene had wielded so far.

“…It’s a duel!”

Cyan shouted and threw a handkerchief at Eugene. The flying handkerchief falls on Eugene’s shoulder. It was only around that time that Eugene was able to release all the sandbags that were hanging from the Spear.

“I accept it.”

Eugene accepted with a nod.

Cyan was excited about his first duel in his life.

Cyan’s heart pounded with excitement.

‘An insolent, sinner who disrespected the family tradition, how should I punish him? How can my sister admire his brother’s brilliance when he scolds me?’

Such thought was cut off.

Eugene stabbed the spear as soon as he stood up.

Cyan, who was taking a few steps back conscious of the wooden sword held in his right hand, failed to respond properly to the movement of the spear.

Cuckoo! The tip of the spear stuck in Sean’s abdomen.

“Oh, my gosh!”

Cyan rolled the ground with a scream.