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44. Beggar Siblings – Gambling

Leo, flustered, tugged at the door several times, but it wouldn’t budge.

‘Didn’t they say the door was unlocked?’

This was unexpected.

While it was rare for nobles to lock the door when riding in a carriage, contrary to the information provided by the Marquis, it was clear that this carriage was firmly locked from the inside.

If there were some cautious nobles or young ladies who tend to lock their doors, it was seen as an act of cowardice, so most male nobles didn’t lock the doors.

In truth, the haughty nobles found it bothersome and tedious to lock the doors themselves, which served as a flimsy excuse.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

Leo hesitated as he heard the startled shout of the coachman.

Things had gotten tangled.

‘Should I give up? Or…’

Grinding his teeth, he focused all his mental energy on the one-handed sword in his hand.

He couldn’t just turn back now.

No matter what on earth was happening, it was a fact that Toton Tatian was inside this carriage.

– Bang!

Putting his weight behind the sword, Leo thrust it down vertically, penetrating the door deeply.

Screams echoed from the crack of the door, and he felt a strange rubbery texture at the tip of the sword. A chill crept up his spine.

Whoever it was, he had definitely stabbed someone.

There was no guilt. What he lamented wasn’t the fleeting life of a human but the quality of his tool. He wished he had brought a longer sword.

Immediately, Leo abandoned the sword and fled.

There was no time to leisurely pull the sword out of the door, and the longer it stayed stuck, the more the poison on the blade would choke the life out of the unknown victim.

He returned to the shop and disappeared into the alley through the back door the merchant opened for him.

The attacked carriage hurried toward the church.

*

The assassination attempt failed. What came out of the church wasn’t a funeral cart.

Moreover, as news of the assassination attempt on nobles reached Oberg’s guards, they swarmed into the city like a disturbed beehive.

However, even though they stirred up the scene for a short while, investigations concluded within a day. The coachman, who could have witnessed the culprit, kept silent, and the Marquis’s family refused to reveal the carriage and the sword embedded in the door as pivotal clues, leading to a different conclusion regarding the incident.

Though no one mentioned it, everyone knew that Marquis Benard Tatian had thrown a political message.

“I’ve come to see the Marquis.”

A few days later, Leo sought out the Marquis.

The Tatian Marquis was seated at his usual massive desk, flanked by two knights. The Marquis sent away one of them, who had a slightly apologetic demeanor, and said,

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know the author had feelings for my son. It’s largely my fault for not managing the people properly.”

He made excuses, sounding apologetic, but his tone was monotonous. The content was more like a simple notification, sharpening Leo’s gaze.

‘I can’t believe this.’

The Marquis had deceived him.

Leo found himself doubting if the knight had genuinely intended to protect Toton Tatian.

It could have been that the Marquis ordered her to lock the door, or there was a high possibility she was coaxed into doing so somehow.

Even if, by some concession, she liked Toton Tatian enough to disobey the Marquis’s orders, there’s no way the Marquis wouldn’t know. He must have intentionally attached that knight to his son that day.

Calmly, Leo asked,

“What about your son?”

“He’s alive. Currently recuperating.”

The Marquis feigned a look of disappointment.

Leo’s insides boiled with anger. He had been used as a means to send a final warning to his son.

Fury surged, but he struggled not to show it.

“I understand. I should wait for the next opportunity. Please notify me when a schedule is set.”

Leo maintained his etiquette as if it were nothing of concern.

The Rauno Family could be crushed overnight with just a few knights sent by the Marquis. He had to keep his head down while playing along.

Possibly, even now, the Rauno Family was on the brink of extinction due to the Marquis’s cleanup efforts.

Leo exited the mansion. Wrath and fear welled up within him as he glanced back. The Marquis’s grand residence looked down at him mockingly.

What a grand sight it was.

A great noble, commanding hundreds of servants, extracting taxes from various cities while subjugating thousands of serfs over millions of acres of land.

Tatian Marquis’s granting of his courtesy was merely out of curiosity.

It must be amusing, seeing someone who looks like a lowly thug being a noble.

Leo felt parched.

‘I need to gain that power…!’

Should he retreat like this? Should he settle for living as a thug in the family while finding an appropriate match for Lena?

Lena was close to Santhian Rauno, the boss’s grandson. That kid seemed decent enough. Still immature but careful and polite like his grandfather, so he’d make a good husband.

But that wouldn’t clear the scenario.

To think it was all going so smoothly only to fall apart… He was thoroughly disappointed.

Not in the mood for a carriage ride, Leo trudged along. The carriage fare he had once paid so gallantly now felt burdensome.

[ Achievement unlocked: First Death – The rate of Leo becoming one with the player slows down. ]

It had been over seven months since the scenario began, yet Leo still hadn’t fully become Leo. Maybe that was why he felt even more frustrated.

‘Damn game!’

He cursed, stomping his feet in the middle of the street. His anger was about to burst.

Honestly, it’s hard enough to take care of myself!

Even now, he had to work every day for the family. It was only because he had received rewards from repeating the scenario several times that he was still alive; otherwise, this Leo would have died a beggar.

And now, his younger sister had joined him.

Leo imagined that, unable to bear witnessing his sister starve, he might have had to steal from shops and die from beatings, while Lena surely would have drunk dirty water and died on the street.

And why was Lena so beautiful!

In this savage world, the future of a beautiful girl was practically sealed from the moment she was born. Leo had to struggle to distort the future of his sister, destined for tragedy.

There wasn’t even a handy {Event}.

If a pretty heroine was wandering the streets, it’d be normal for some prince or noble to appear, rescue Lena, and carry her off to protect her, only to end up falling in love…

Fuming and hopping in place, Leo ended up biting his tongue.

It hurt. Vividly.

That pain snapped Leo’s mind back.

‘…Honestly, it doesn’t really make sense.’

This was not a game but reality.

Nobles wouldn’t simply gaze down at the streets out of boredom. It’d be a blessing if a carriage didn’t run over Lena.

As he pondered while turning into an alley, thugs snickering ahead saw his tattoos and quickly fled.

‘I need to borrow the Marquis’s power somehow. Chasing off the Prince of the Conrad Kingdom seems impossible. That path has no hope.’

Leo had gathered information about the Conrad Kingdom during this time.

Lena and Leo were reported as officially dead. Meanwhile, the illegitimate son, Eric de Yeriel, born from the Concubine, had solidified his base as the only heir apparent by ousting the Queen’s children.

Behind him stood his maternal grandfather, Duke Rupert Tertan. The prince had relied on external power to thrust aside half-siblings who were ahead in the line of succession.

There was no backlash. Duke Rupert Tertan was the real power holder in the Conrad Kingdom’s political arena, unlike the factional infighting in this Belita Kingdom.

The King of Conrad had been bedridden for over ten years.

Thanks to the priests pouring their spiritual power into him, he clung to an illness they could never heal.

Given such circumstances, power naturally concentrated on the sole heir, and Eric de Yeriel’s ascension was seen as merely a matter of time.

When Leo got this information, he abandoned all hope in his bloodline.

There wasn’t even a crack to penetrate.

He was even in a position where he had to curry favor with the Tatian Marquis, who seemed inferior compared to Eric de Yeriel and Duke Tertan. Moreover, he couldn’t gain anything beyond mere interest.

Upon arriving at the family mansion, Leo half-heartedly acknowledged his family’s greetings and searched for Lena’s room, hovering awkwardly at her door without knocking.

Defeat weighed heavily on him.

‘Lena. What should I do…’

He felt like crying.

It was hard and lonely.

Should he spill everything to his sister? He’d surely be met with disbelief, but in the end, Lena would probably believe him.

Leo shook his head, covering his face.

‘No. I can’t say such things to Lena.’

That would mean he wasn’t truly her older brother.

He was Leo, yet also not Leo. The only one who could understand this strange gap was Leo himself. His sister would not grasp this, only feeling shock.

If only Chaehwa were here!

‘…No. I’m relying on Chaehwa again.’

Pathetic. He had barely committed to his resolve, yet he found himself instinctively seeking her out.

Leo shut his eyes, remembering his childhood friend Lena. She had comforted him even when she was cast out from church.

He thought of Lena Ainar. She had tried to stand on her own after losing her arm.

And his sister…

“Big brother!”

Leo jumped in surprise, lifting his head. At the end of the hallway, Lena was dashing towards him.

“Huff, huff, big brother! You’re here early?”

His sister was drenched in sweat.

Seeing her, Leo remembered the bedridden Lena and felt his heart drop.

“Lena! Why are you sweating so much?”

“I was exercising with Tian in the yard. I’m going to shower now.”

Her nonchalant answer eased his chest.

“You scared me. But what kind of exercise did you do?”

“I won’t tell you!”

Lena dashed into her room. The door Leo had hesitated to knock on was wide open.

Staring at the closed door, Leo stood there for a moment. His sister had gone inside, but her fresh face remained in his mind.

My dear sister.

The feeling of helpless defeat faded and a solid sense of responsibility emerged.

Leo braced himself. For his sister’s sake… He couldn’t collapse.

‘Right. It’s not over yet.’

After all, in this scenario, he’d made acquaintance with the Marquis and had secured a pass to see him.

That was a remarkable achievement.

Just one more step, just one more step to take.

Leo thought of a way to bridge that gap and headed back outside the mansion.

*

A month later, Leo had Lena ride in the carriage.

Marquis Benard Tatian wasn’t in a hurry for the assassination.

The Swordmaster faction pressured the Marquis with disapproving looks, but he merely sent a minimal message – that he had attempted to assassinate his disobedient son and was now injured, using his recovery as a means to prevent his son from meeting the princess. – and left it at that.

Once his wounds healed, other actions would be necessary, but for now, that was sufficient.

However, this developing situation wasn’t satisfactory for Leo, so he scrapped up every penny he could. He advanced his wages and borrowed money from his family.

With that money, he bought an exquisite dress. The most splendid one.

Lena deserved something flashy.

After all, she’d overshadow him no matter how flamboyant it was, so nothing could be too much.

He borrowed accessories from a lady named Soirin whom he had befriended recently.

Leo winked and asked her to keep it a secret, and she blushed, saying she understood.

The gamble had begun. Leo dressed his sister as beautifully as possible to maximize the stakes and headed toward the Marquis’s residence with Lena.

“Aww… I was supposed to play with Tian.”

“……”

Lena grumbled, but Leo firmly cleared her schedule. The moment for her appearance had come.

‘With my current capabilities, my limit is merely to pique the Marquis’s curiosity. But if I show him Lena…’

This was his plan for taking that final step. If the Marquis saw Lena… he would certainly want to adopt them as his son and daughter.

He didn’t worry about the worst-case scenario.

Marquis Benard Tatian was a great noble. He wasn’t a lowly thug who would look at Lena’s beauty with crude intentions. What Leo feared wasn’t that situation either.

Lena forgot her previous grumbling and was busy admiring the passing scenery.

Lena pointed out sights to Leo, but he was too anxious to wet his dry tongue.

Eventually, the carriage arrived at the Marquis’s mansion.

Leo clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly. Once he entered, there’d be no turning back.

He hesitated for a moment before reaching for Lena’s hand to escort her, and the siblings stood side by side at the grand entrance.

It was surely a misunderstanding, but the dense iron bars looked like the teeth of an Old Phantom Fox.

Leo presented his pass to the steward. The steward, already aware of Leo having a pass, usually didn’t ask for it. It was bothersome to have it returned upon exit.

Thus, Leo showing his pass was an unspoken request for a formal audience. Even if he didn’t get the pass back, it was his last request to make time for them.

However, the steward was more interested in something else rather than Leo’s daring move, barely noticing the presented pass as he bowed.

“Welcome… to our estate.”

He could hardly take his eyes off the stunningly beautiful Lena. After a moment of realization, he cleared his throat and accepted the pass.

Leo wasn’t the least bit offended.

It was a natural reaction. Even in ragged clothing with a bare face, her looks were suffocating; now, adorned beautifully in a lovely dress, it was overwhelming.

Princess Chloe de Tatalia, known as the flower of the Belita Kingdom, couldn’t compare to Lena.

Though he hadn’t seen her, Leo was confident.

In this kingdom, no, across the entire continent, his sister was the most beautiful.

The siblings were led to the Marquis’s room. It seemed the office changed from time to time as Leo was led to different rooms each time he visited.

The Marquis, looking somewhat annoyed as he received a visitor, greeted them without enthusiasm.

“Welcome. What brings you here all of a sudden…”

His gaze fell upon Lena.

– gulp

Leo swallowed. The dice had been cast, and it felt as though the rolling of the dice stretched on for an eternity.

The Marquis… bowed lightly.

It’s done! How this sly man would act next remained to be seen, but with such regard shown, it was a relief that Lena wouldn’t encounter harm.

The Tatian Marquis was the picture of courtesy extended toward ladies.

“Your sister, I see. It’s an honor to meet you. I am Benard Tatian.”

Lena also brushed her skirt slightly as she received the greeting.

“I’m Lena. Nice to meet you.”

While her greeting was respectfully made in her own way, a question flickered across the Marquis’s face.

Lena didn’t know the etiquette of nobles.

Leo wished to teach her, but the rules for noble ladies were painfully intricate compared to those for men.

Even the simplest gestures could lead to misunderstandings, and teaching her insufficiently would have been worse than if she knew nothing.

The military etiquette of the Acaian Empire he had previously taught Lena Ainar was simple enough for both men and women to grasp easily, but this was an entirely different level of complexity.

Seeing the Marquis’s perplexed expression, Leo shrugged, while the Marquis masked his doubt and gave Lena a gentle smile.

“Seems it’s lunchtime. If you have the time, would you care to join me for a meal?”

Though it wasn’t a direct suggestion to Leo, he trembled with joy.

The gamble had succeeded. The Marquis had evidently shown interest in Lena, suggesting they all dine together.

The worst scenario he had feared, where only Lena would be taken away while Leo was abandoned, hadn’t unfolded.

Only then did Leo’s tension loosen as he sighed inwardly.

Finally, I can breathe easier…

“Of course. I’ve already been told I would dine with my brother.”

Both the Marquis and Leo were taken aback by Lena’s bold statement.