IHDOE Ch 70
[Satina] "What did he do wrong to be sent to such a place?!"
[D. Bersabet] "What? You dare defy me?"
He turned his wrath from Sharlan to Satina.
[Satina] "It is not defiance! I am merely speaking sense. I heard what happened from him!"
She stepped in front of Sharlan, desperately shielding his larger frame.
[Satina] "It was your mistake, Father! Why must he suffer punishment for it?!"
[D. Bersabet] "How dare you...!"
[Satina] "Am I wrong? If you had prepared properly and avoided quarreling with the rat beastkin guild master, the contract wouldn't have been canceled! Why do you lay all the blame on him?!"
Her articulate argument only inflamed the Duke's rage further.
[D. Bersabet] "You insist on acting like this! After I took in the stray seed of an unknown man, you display such ingratitude...! Fine! If you pity Sharlan so much, will you take the punishment in his place?!"
[Sharlan] "Sister...!"
Sharlan hurriedly grabbed her wrist. Satina squeezed his hand in return.
Facing the Duke, she spoke with firm resolve.
[Satina] "Yes. I would rather go to the punishment room in his place."
The Duke's lips twisted grotesquely. He had expected her to cower and beg for forgiveness, yet her defiance infuriated him. Regardless of whether it was Sharlan or Satina, he needed an outlet for his rage.
[D. Bersabet] "Fine! Have it your way!"
He commanded the knights to drag her away.
Without resisting, Satina followed the knights with a serene demeanor. Offering a light, reassuring smile, her figure gradually receded into the distance.
[D. Bersabet] "What exceptionally devoted siblings."
He spat on Sharlan's clothing before striding after them.
Left alone in the room, Sharlan curled his trembling body onto the floor and buried his face in his hands.
His immediate reaction was cowardly and despicable.
I survived.
Despite provoking his father, he had escaped being dragged to that place. Released from the overwhelming terror, breath finally returned to his lungs.
[Sharlan] "Ha... Haha..."
Though she was his sister, Satina was a fool.
Armed with nothing more than misplaced sympathy, she had volunteered to go to that place in his stead. Whatever became of her there, he had secured his own safety, so he ought to rejoice without reservation.
I should be happy...
Rationally, escaping punishment warranted joy, yet no happiness came.
He knew all too well how soft and fragile Satina was. He recalled her expression whenever he struck her hand away. Struggling to swallow her heartbreak, attempting to smile at him as if nothing were wrong, her pain plainly visible on her face.
If she were broken in that room, if she stopped smiling at him...
[Sharlan] "N-No..."
Overwhelming horror seized him at the mere thought.
His legs buckled, threatening to collapse beneath him, but he forced himself upright on trembling limbs.
Panicked like a lost child, he sprinted toward the site of her punishment.
[Sharlan] "No, no. Sister, no..."
He reached the heavy door deep within the mansion's subterranean depths. The guards blocking the entrance stepped forward.
[Knight] "You can't proceed past this point."
[Sharlan] "G-Get out of the way. I must get to my sister."
[Knight] "Impossible. It is the Duke's command."
[Sharlan] "I told you to move!"
He attempted to push past, but the knights firmly restrained him.
[Knight] "Control yourself, Young Duke. You know His Grace's temperament."
[Sharlan] "Let go! I am the one who made a mistake, so I... I should go...!"
[Knight] "Calm down. Throwing a tantrum here will only lengthen Lady Satina's stay."
[Sharlan] "I said let go! Sister! Sister...!"
He thrashed, shouting for Satina, but no answer came.
Satina surveyed the room.
Barely two meters across, the tiny space featured pristine white walls.
White walls, a white bed, even the garments she had been made to change into were entirely white.
Holding her breath and listening closely, no sound from the outside reached her.
No food would be provided during her confinement. With no books, paintings, clocks, or windows, measuring the passage of time was impossible.
Complete silence in a stark white void. This was House Bersabet's punishment room. Though it seemed harmless at first glance, Sharlan harbored intense terror toward this space.
[Sharlan] "I would rather be beaten to death by him. It felt as though my mind were shattering into pieces."
Satina held little faith in her own mental fortitude. As he described, spending days in this room could drive her insane.
However, she had not volunteered blindly. She possessed a faithful, adorable system that accompanied her wherever she went.
[Satina] "Liv, tell me an interesting story."
Lying back on the bed, a loading icon rotated before her eyes.
[Liv] "What kind of interesting story do you wish to hear?"
[Satina] "Anything."
[Liv] "How about '30 Classic Children's Fairytales to Help You Sleep'?"
[Satina] "Is that actually interesting?"
[Liv] "Stories passed down for over a century possess sufficient appeal for people to enjoy."
[Satina] "Fine, go ahead."
[Liv] "Once upon a time, long, long ago, there lived a girl with skin as white as snow and hair as black as ebony..."
The voice cut out as if experiencing a system glitch.
[Satina] "Huh? What's wrong?"
Just as concern arose that it had broken, the system alerts sounded in succession.
[Sharlan's affection has increased by 10.]
[Sharlan's affection has reached 50.]
[Ending route destroyed. Unlocking Ending '067. A Bird Outside the Cage'.]
Listening to the continuous pings, she deadpanned.
[Satina] "I asked for an entertaining story. Why are you playing a bad ending...?"
Consciousness returned alongside a familiar sensation.
Satina examined her surroundings to grasp the current situation.
This is Sharlan's office.
Only the rhythmic tapping of his fingers against the desk broke the quiet of the office.
She endured the awkward silence, awaiting his response.
So reaching 50 affection destroys the bad ending route and forcibly triggers an ending sequence.
Serpens had triggered a disaster upon hitting 50 affection, and now Sharlan followed the same pattern.
How much affection does Katan have left? I should practice mental discipline through meditation before reaching 50 with him.
As she engaged in idle thoughts, he finally spoke.
[Sharlan] "So... to summarize your words, Sister, you wish to leave the House."
Her mouth moved against her will.
[Satina] "Yes. Though I entered House Bersabet when Mother remarried, I originally have no connection to this family."
[Sharlan] "No connection... That is true. You are not Father's biological child, nor do you share a single drop of blood with House Bersabet."
[Satina] "Right. So I will leave this house and take my biological father's surname."
[Sharlan] "Your biological father? That low-ranking noble whose name you can barely recall? When you broke your engagement with the Crown Prince, I questioned your sanity... but discarding the life of a ducal daughter to crawl into the gutter yourself? Quite admirable courage."
[Satina] "Even if I leave this house and become a slave, it is better than living here. I am thoroughly sick of this House."
She wholeheartedly agreed with those words. If she broke the engagement and fled to the Free City-State, she intended never to look back at House Bersabet again.
He offered a gentle smile, his eyes crinkling.
[Sharlan] "Very well. If you desire it so, I have no reason to stop you. Since your engagement with the Crown Prince is annulled, the family has no reason to retain you. Still, Sister, shouldn't you settle your account before departing?"
Interlacing his fingers, he leaned back comfortably in his chair.
[Sharlan] "The meals you consumed, the clothes you wore, and everything else during your stay at House Bersabet... Unless you pay for all of it, I can't let you leave."
His eyes gleamed with amusement, as if daring her to try.
[Sharlan] "Alternatively, there is the option of marrying a new match arranged by the family. How about Grand Duke Bellus?"
[Satina] "You... Do you know how many women have died in his estate?"
[Sharlan] "I know. So we don't ask for much. Yes, a single child. If you bear one child to serve as the heir to the Grand Ducal House, we will no longer interfere with you."
[Satina] "..."
[Sharlan] "My, don't look at me with such resentful eyes. If you dislike marriage, there is another option. How about surrendering all your businesses and assets to us?"
Satina bit her lip. While she amassed this wealth, the family provided not an ounce of assistance. Yet now they demanded her fortune in exchange for severing ties.
[Sharlan] "Ah, indeed. Surrendering your assets wouldn't do. There is no guarantee you could earn money again, and you would have nowhere to stay immediately upon leaving."
[Satina] "You really..."
[Sharlan] "Now, I have presented you with three choices, Sister. One: marry Grand Duke Bellus."
He counted on his fingers with a smirk.
[Sharlan] "Two: surrender all assets to the family and leave with nothing."
[Satina] "Sharlan!"
[Sharlan] "Three: remain quietly in the family as you are. Should you choose the last option, I will allow you to operate your business and live in peace."
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