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Raizen Pantheon.

I vaguely remember he had a middle name, but it escapes me now.

Anyway, he was described as a stunningly handsome man with black hair and red eyes, cursed from birth.

The novel never clarified the exact nature of the curse.

It only revealed that Raizen suffered from a madness that could only be alleviated by committing murder.

Raizen’s mind, corrupted by repeated killings, eventually spiraled into despair.

He blamed the gods for his misery and, in his rage, unsealed the Demon King, unleashing destruction on the world.

Raizen succeeded in breaking the Demon King’s seal but was ultimately killed by the protagonist.

The Demon King also met his end at the protagonist’s hands.

‘And the protagonist, Kim Minsoo, married the princess and became emperor in the end.’

The fantasy novel ‘From Transmigration to Hero’ told the story of a protagonist who transmigrated the body of the troublemaking youngest son of the Duke’s family, aided by a mysterious system, and rose to become a hero who saved the world.

The problem was… I hadn’t transmigrated to the protagonist’s body but someone from the villain’s side.

“Hah…”

Sean Kreveta.

The heir to the Marquis of Kreveta, a family tasked with guarding the empire’s borders.

While traveling with his parents to a resort, their carriage was ambushed.

The Marquis and Marchioness were killed, and Sean went missing.

The Duke of Pantheon, a close friend of the Marquis, searched relentlessly and finally found Sean, bringing him to the Duchy.

‘So that’s why this kid ended up abandoned in that shabby house.’

The culprits behind the attack were never revealed—it wasn’t mentioned in the novel.

In fact, Sean’s existence was only briefly noted when Raizen reminisced about his first murder.

‘A timid and frail boy, yet quick-witted enough to sense my condition before anyone else.’

That’s how Raizen described Sean.

However, based on the narrative, it seemed Raizen was envious of Sean.

Unlike him, Sean had always been treated with kindness and leniency by their father.

The fact that Sean was formally adopted into the family, rather than merely supported, likely grated on Raizen even more.

‘Not that they had much choice.’

With the culprits of the ambush unknown, merely supporting Sean would have left him vulnerable.

As a border marquis, the Kreveta family had concealed Sean’s existence for safety, but if the Duke had suddenly started supporting a child, the culprits would have figured things out quickly.

Adoption carried risks too.

But while support alone might have allowed the perpetrators to escape with light punishment, harming an adopted family member would be seen as a direct attack on the Duchy, carrying far greater consequences.

The Duke must have known this and decided to formally adopt Sean.

“Haa…”

Should I reject the adoption and just get killed outright?

Either way, this path leads straight to hell.

‘What a cursed life.’

“Um, sir?”

A voice pulled me from my thoughts.

It was the servant who’d just delivered that shocking information.

‘She’s still here?’

I had completely forgotten her presence while recalling the novel’s plot and taking the medicine she’d brought.

But why… was she looking at me with teary eyes?

“…W-why are you looking at me like that?”

I nearly blurted out, ‘Why are you crying?’, but I stopped myself and spoke in the most pitiful tone I could muster.

At that, she gave a soft smile.

“There’s nothing you need to worry about, sir. Adults will take care of adult matters.”

It seemed she’d misunderstood my silence as fear.

That worked perfectly for me.

‘Or maybe this kid just looks naturally pitiful?’

“Now then, how about we go get you freshened up?”

‘Freshened up? What does that mean?’

The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I held it back and nodded instead.

---

‘Freshened up’ turned out to mean a bath.

A luxurious bath, complete with warm water and frothy bubbles from a bath bomb.

Although I endured the humiliation of being scrubbed down by someone else, the experience itself was impeccable.

Once I was dressed in luxurious clothes—where they’d come from, I had no idea—I finally stood before a mirror.

‘What the…?’

Reflected back at me was a boy with dazzling silver hair and piercing blue eyes.

The problem was…

‘Why does he look kind of like me?’

Or was I imagining it?

Since I only had a few childhood photos, I couldn’t be sure.

Still, the upturned eyes that people used to call off-putting and the beauty mark just below the right side of my lips… the boy in the mirror bore all the features of my original appearance.

“Goodness… You’re so, well, handsome,” the servant said, hastily correcting herself.

Although I hated being called “pretty” just as much as “handsome,” I forced a smile.

“We’ll go meet the Duke now. If you’re scared, you can always hold onto me.”

Her tone was playful, but her offer seemed genuine.

I widened my eyes, unsure how to respond, and she covered her mouth with a laugh.

She must have been working here a long time to feel comfortable joking about her master.

But if she could speak so casually about the Duke…

‘Maybe the Duke of Pantheon isn’t such a bad employer after all.’

Come to think of it, I remember in the novel, the duke and his wife climbed the execution platform after using all their wealth to help those harmed by the demon king, claiming they were paying for their sins of failing to raise their son properly.

Even when the protagonist, now the emperor, tried to stop them, they insisted that their guilt outweighed any riches in the world.

‘Yeah, so what if you’re a good person?’

If your parenting was a disaster!

Anyway, I quietly followed the servant as she led the way.

Passing through a corridor as grand and opulent as a castle, we stopped in front of a certain room.

Knock, knock.

The servant gently rapped on the door.

“Your Grace, it’s Mila.”

Ah, so her name is Mila. I etched the name into a corner of my mind.

From inside came a deep voice granting us entry.

Mila turned to me with a gentle smile before opening the door.

The study, decorated in white and gold, was bright and tidy, practically exuding wealth from every corner.

‘Now that I think about it, the interior is really cheerful.’

It was described as the “Duke of Blood’s” domain in the novel.

Maybe the dark rumors stemmed from the Pantheon family’s signature black hair and red eyes.

Because I was still a kid, I had to look up gradually from the bottom.

“…!”

Instinctively, I hid behind Mila.

It wasn’t because of the Duke of Pantheon sitting at the desk in the middle of the study, as she feared.

No, it was because of the black-haired boy standing in front of him.

“Are you all right, young master?”

Mila asked softly, tilting her head with concern.

Her words brought me back to my senses, which had briefly wandered off.

‘Damn, that scared me.’

What the hell is he doing here?

“Ahem. Come in, Sean.”

The voice was awkward, almost painfully so, as if he were convinced I was terrified of him.

He was completely oblivious to the fact that the forced smile he wore only made him scarier.

‘But wow, he’s insanely handsome.’

The Duke, with his jet-black hair flowing down his shoulders, had striking features that were sharp yet harmoniously balanced.

His looks screamed “idol material” in my world.

I found myself staring at his face longer than intended when Mila lightly tapped my shoulder.

“Go on, step closer.”

At her soft encouragement, I hesitantly took a step forward.

As I moved closer, the Duke’s crimson eyes fixed on me with an unwavering gaze.

For a moment, I thought I saw his eyes redden further, as if brimming with emotion.

“H-Hello…”

I greeted him awkwardly, unsure of what else to say.

At that, the Duke rose from his chair, knelt on one knee, and crouched down to meet me at eye level.

“You really… You look so much like your parents…”

Well, of course.

I mean, I am their kid.

But I wasn’t tactless enough to say that out loud.

‘They must’ve been really close.’

He reached out a hand but hesitated, unable to bring himself to touch my face.

The guilt etched deeply into his contorted expression was palpable.

‘But, excuse me…’

Do you not feel the murderous glare your son is throwing at my face right now?

Can someone’s gaze be so intense it carries weight?

Is it possible for an evil mastermind in training to imbue their stare with aura this early?

I didn’t dare look at him properly, but I could feel the burning intensity on my cheeks.

It stung.

And here the Duke was, fully immersed in his emotional reunion mode.

“May I… hold you, just once?”

Despite his awkward tone, I nodded.

It wasn’t like I had any other choice right now.

Upon receiving my permission, the Duke carefully pulled me into his arms.

His hands patted my back with such mechanical precision that it was obvious he wasn’t used to physical affection.

‘But seriously… my cheeks are about to burn off here.’

As the Duke embraced me, the sharpness of that gaze intensified even more.

‘What do I do now? Maybe running to the nearest lake and drowning myself is the easiest way out.’

Sensing that being released from the Duke’s hold was in my best interest, I wriggled slightly.

He noticed immediately and let me go.

‘I almost sighed in relief.’

But doing that would’ve been enough to get me beheaded for disrespect.

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