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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Breakfast Confrontation
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Charlotte continued meditating until the sun hung high in the midday sky before her eyes finally sparkled open.
Even the simple process of tidying up and rising from the bed felt astonishingly light, as if she might float away at any moment.
It had been no more than half a day of meditation at most, yet that alone had gathered enough energy in her dantian for her to clearly feel the qi there.
'Just how dense is the flow of qi in this world?'
At this rate, reaching the realm she had once attained in her previous life seemed entirely feasible—effortlessly so.
After all, gaining enlightenment was the hard part the first time.
Returning to a realm one had already reached was easy.
The issue was inner power, but if even that could be resolved this smoothly...
'Maybe I should actually thank the Reaper of Souls.'
Until yesterday, Charlotte had inwardly resented the Reaper of Souls nonstop, but for the first time, gratitude toward him crossed her mind, bringing a bright smile to her face.
Buoyed by the thick flow of qi in this world, she hadn't even noticed Betty standing there with a troubled frown.
Betty approached hesitantly as Charlotte soaked in the flower-scented bathwater prepared by the maids, finally mustering the words she'd been holding back.
"Um... Lady Charlotte."
"Yes?"
"The House Lord said there's an important announcement today. She wants everyone to have breakfast together in the dining hall..."
Her voice trailed off, shrinking to a mosquito's whisper by the end.
Charlotte looked up at Betty and tilted her head quizzically.
"Then we just go, right?"
Betty was at a loss for words, her mouth snapping shut as she watched Charlotte respond so innocently.
The House Lord rarely deigned to meet with Lady Charlotte as it was, but whenever she did, Charlotte would cower in terror days in advance, scheming ways to flee.
She'd hidden behind Betty countless times.
Seeing Betty's flustered expression, Charlotte flashed her a grin.
"Don't worry too much. It'll be fine somehow."
Betty couldn't help but worry even more, despite approving of how much Lady Charlotte had changed since yesterday. She fussed over her charge, dressing her as primly and elegantly as possible while stomping her feet inwardly.
"Wow... Wow."
From the moment she stepped out of her room, passed through the annex, and entered the main building, Charlotte let out nonstop exclamations of awe.
'As expected of a house that commands three great knight orders.'
The entire structure served as both a massive protective barrier and living quarters.
The main building in particular was grand beyond compare.
Rather than ostentatious gold and silver decorations, it exuded a restrained beauty focused on practicality.
Each floor soared to breathtaking heights, sturdy and spacious enough to function as a command headquarters. Even the wall decorations weren't mere portraits or sculptures—they were mostly real weapons ready for use.
Charlotte swallowed hard at the longsword hanging near the dining hall entrance but finally let Betty lead her inside.
"Hey, Charlotte. Still clinging to life, huh?"
"Charlotte~ Weren't you gonna drown yourself?"
The cheerful mood shattered the instant those jeering voices hit her ears upon entering.
'No matter where I go, there are always these types hanging around... What now?'
Charlotte narrowed her eyes at the trio addressing her.
Three young men were already seated in the dining hall of the main building—the heart of House Setia.
No need to ask who they were; it was obvious.
'My two cousin brothers and my own brother, I bet.'
The two sons left by Jerome's—her father's—older brother: Isaac and Byaki.
Isaac, the heir apparent to the house leadership. Just watching him read a book in the farthest corner seat made one understand the phrase "ice in his veins."
His aura screamed that he'd kill anyone who got on his nerves.
Byaki, the playful master of quick-draw swordsmanship, stood out with his platinum blond hair braided into a single ponytail reaching his waist.
And Russell, Charlotte's own brother—hot-tempered, burly, wielder of a massive heavy sword.
All three shared strikingly similar handsome faces framed by platinum blond hair. Without their nasty mouths, one might even find them likable.
Their faces were manly and refined, but what really caught the eye were the broad shoulders and muscles that bulged even under winter garments. Even the leanest of them, Byaki, was solidly built.
'Jealous of the muscles, but those personalities are the worst.'
Charlotte gave them a quick once-over before heading to what looked like her spot: a child's chair tucked in the farthest corner.
Byaki smirked at her demeanor.
"Look at her actually show up just 'cause the House Lord summoned her here. Sorry, but we have zero interest in chatting with you."
Russell leaned back in agreement with Byaki.
Byaki twisted his lips and added another barb.
"You seriously thinking of sitting at our table today? Gotten too bold lately?"
Unable to stomach the escalating insults, Charlotte furrowed her brow sharply—right as Byaki chucked a piece of bread at her.
Thud.
The white bread crumb hit the floor in front of her.
"Why don't you just eat off the floor there?"
Charlotte stared blankly at the bread on the ground before her, then slowly lifted her head to meet their gazes again.
She didn't care if they ignored her or looked down on her.
But treating her like this was another matter entirely.
"What... have I done wrong? What's the reason for this?"
Russell eyed her curiously, surprised that she wasn't curling up behind Betty or fleeing as usual.
Byaki scoffed on top of that.
"You really have to ask? Everyone in House Setia can coat their sword in aura—even five-year-olds. That's what makes us Setias; that's talent. So how humiliating is it for us that a talentless nobody like you drags the Setia name around?"
Charlotte glared at her much-older brothers, irritation mixing with her gaze.
'So what?'
If they'd talked it out civilly, maybe she'd have humored them. But was there any need to humiliate her like this?
Charlotte pressed her temple and shot back.
"So this pathetic behavior toward a mere nine-year-old is what you call Setia house pride?"
The air froze solid the moment the words left her mouth.
In House Setia, who would become the next head was of paramount interest. Power plays were everyday occurrences.
No way they'd let a nobody like Charlotte—who wasn't even in the running—talk back like that.
Scraaaape.
Russell propped his chin on his hand, glaring daggers at her, while Byaki grinned wickedly and shoved his chair back to stand.
"How should we discipline this brat to shut that impertinent mouth?"
As the two—each twice her size—loomed over her menacingly, Charlotte recalled a line from the novel.
'Charlotte was often slapped by her Setia cousins and collateral relatives.'
For "educational" purposes, no doubt.
She hadn't fully recovered her abilities yet, but she had no intention of backing down.
Using violence to "discipline" a nine-year-old little sister?
No, not even discipline.
'The ones who need their tempers fixed are those brothers, not me.'
Charlotte widened her eyes and snapped at them.
"Did you just... call me impertinent?"
"Guess you haven't been hit enough lately, Charlotte."
Byaki found it baffling—and irritating—that she wasn't flinching even after he stood, so he raised his right hand like always.
Charlotte sneered inwardly as his hand swung slowly toward her, then sidestepped precisely half a pace to the left.
Even though he'd seen her move, Byaki whiffed completely, his hand slicing empty air short of her face.
"What the—Byaki, did you just... miss against Charlotte?"
Byaki's face flushed crimson at Russell's incredulous scoff.
Missing against anyone else would be one thing—but against Charlotte?
Any knight in the orders would mock him for that.
"...This is ridiculous! Keep pushing it, and—!"
As Byaki raised his hand again, Charlotte calmly picked up a fork from the table, her expression serene.
She couldn't unleash devastating power with the scant inner power in her dantian yet, but her once-lofty realm gave her confidence in fine qi control.
'What I need right now is a show of strength. To make them think twice about touching me.'
Her acupoints weren't fully open yet, but even ordinary people had qi pathways.
Charlotte drew up her energy, manifested it in her hand, then wrapped it around the wooden fork.
Stab.
The fork sank smoothly into the table without a hint of friction—like piercing soft bread.
The whole motion was so swift that Russell hadn't even finished raising his hand.
"Next time, think carefully about where this fork might end up. Act accordingly."
Charlotte released the fork handle slowly with her tiny hand, staring Russell straight in the eye.
"...?"
Wood into wood?
Russell stared blankly at the fork handle embedded in the wooden table, then shifted his gaze to his little sister.
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