I Became the Younger Brother of the Villainess

After concluding my business at the Hailey estate, I bid farewell to Christina, who seemed reluctant to part.

“We’ll see each other soon at the academy, so there’s no need to feel too sad,” I thought.

With Count Hailey bowing repeatedly until the very last moment to see me off, I returned to Tepes.

“Welcome back, Master.”

Daisy greeted me with a bright smile, and I couldn’t resist pulling her into a hug. Thinking about how the ghoul maids would have simply bowed expressionlessly without her made me even more grateful that we had hired her. Though technically, it was my sister who did the hiring.

“Ah, Master?”

Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, Daisy looked a bit flustered. However, she didn’t seem to mind, even nuzzling her cheek against my chest. Her endearing behavior made me chuckle, and I couldn’t resist giving her a light pat on the backside.

“Eek! M-Master, not now!”

“It’s not like that,” I replied with a laugh.

“Ugh…”

Noticing that her expression hinted at some wild misunderstanding, I playfully smacked her cheeky backside. “Wah!” she yelped, covering her rear with her hands and shuffling backward.

“That hurt!” she protested.

“It’s because you were having inappropriate thoughts.”

Her wide eyes and the way her lips moved wordlessly, as if to say, ‘You can’t seriously be blaming me!’, were both adorable and exasperating. Unable to resist, I chased her down and delivered a couple more playful smacks.

“Ahh! Fine, I’ll go clean now!” she exclaimed as she scurried away.

Watching Daisy pretend to cry as she ran off, I couldn’t help but laugh. A strange sense of lightheartedness bubbled up within me, leaving me oddly cheerful.

Maybe last night’s events had stirred some change in me. The restless tension that had weighed on me seemed to have eased, replaced by a calm, steady feeling.

‘I should go see my sister.’

Having teased Daisy enough for one day, I suddenly found myself longing for my sister. Following the familiar scent that reminded me of her, I headed toward its source.

The smell of blood grew stronger as I walked. Was she training?

“Huff… Huff…”

When I reached the underground training room, I saw her catching her breath, clad in her usual full-body training suit. As soon as our eyes met, the tension in her furrowed brow melted away, replaced by a bright smile.

“Scarlett! You’re back! When did you get here?”

Her voice was unusually high-pitched as she hurried toward me, practically bouncing with excitement. Her reaction made me smile, and, unable to resist, I pulled her into a tight hug, just as I had with Daisy.

“Ah! I’m covered in blood,” she said, half-laughing and half-protesting.

“It’s fine,” I replied with a grin.

“Oh…”

For a vampire, being splattered with blood was less bothersome than getting wet, but she still looked a little flustered, her eyes darting around nervously. After a moment, as though she’d gathered her thoughts, she tilted her head up to look at me.

“Did everything go well?”

“Yeah, everything’s sorted,” I said.

“That’s great,” she said with a nod and a small smile.

And that was it. She didn’t ask how I resolved things or what had happened. She simply nodded, as if my word was enough. Her lack of curiosity made me pause.

“Aren’t you going to ask for more details?”

“Hm? Why would I? If you say it’s all handled, I trust that it is.”

“….”

Her unwavering confidence in me was both endearing and slightly disarming. That simple, trusting expression left me with an odd mix of pride and discomfort.

“What about you? What have you been up to?” I asked, changing the subject.

“…Just… training,” she mumbled, her tone suddenly hesitant. It was a stark contrast to her earlier enthusiasm, but I let it slide with a nod.

“In that case, how about a sparring match? It’s been a while.”

“I’m fine with that, but are you sure you’re not too tired?”

Instead of answering, I leaned in and gave her cheek a firm pinch. The idea that a few days away might have worn me out was so absurd it didn’t even warrant a reply—not to someone who’d ever trained seriously.

“Are you kidding me with that nonsense?”

“Ow, ow! Okay, okay, let’s spar!” she yelped, waving her hands in surrender.

With a sigh, I let her go. She stepped back, gingerly rubbing her now-reddened cheek, her pout making her look more like a sulking child than a seasoned fighter.

“No holding back,” Leticia declared firmly.

“Naturally,” Scarlett replied with a smirk.

They widened the distance between each other, readying for the clash. Scarlett felt her body at its peak, every fiber attuned to the battle ahead.

She pulled a coin from her pocket, flicking it into the air with her fingers.

“Begin.”

Clink.

The moment the coin hit the ground, Leticia’s entire body was enveloped in a suit of dark crimson armor forged from blood. In her hand, a crimson spear materialized, its blade glinting with menacing energy.

Scarlett, not to be outdone, summoned a cluster of black threads into her grasp. With a crackling surge of energy, they condensed into a tangible form.

“Line.”

“Imbue” – “Lightning.”

KRR-BOOM!

Ten arcs of black lightning erupted, crackling and spreading wide as they surged toward Leticia. The intense energy forced her to adjust, slowing her rapid charge—but she didn’t stop.

Instead, the crimson spear in her grasp began to shift, its shape twisting as though alive.

Crimson Spear – Form Alteration.

What had been a versatile close-combat weapon transformed into a cavalry spear, designed for high-speed thrusts. Leticia’s shadowy wings unfurled behind her, propelling her forward with incredible speed.

Before the bolts of lightning could converge, she burst through with a thunderous wham!, her blood armor absorbing the brunt of the attack. Residual arcs of lightning crackled and danced along her body, leaving scorch marks and tearing through parts of her armor.

Her condition was visibly deteriorated, her blood armor shredded in places, and stray sparks continued to flicker across her frame. Yet, despite it all, the momentum of her charge remained unbroken. The spear, now accelerated to its peak, surged toward Scarlett’s face with terrifying precision.

And then—