Transmigrated as the Villainous Love Rival of the Abusive Novel's Heroine [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 60

Chapter 60: A Family

Duke Cody Heimdall’s castle was the final line of defense for the Narheim continent; if it collapsed, the peace that the continent had maintained for three hundred eras would be completely shattered. Because of the importance of this defense line, the Holy Court and the other two great noble families frequently plotted against it. They had even built a castle of the same scale not far from Cody’s, filling it with powerful mages and sending them to the battlefield.

But subordinates raised by maggots are mostly scattered maggots. The two great noble families failed one after another, leaving only the Holy Court’s forces to barely maintain themselves. However, even this “bare maintenance” was slowly being erased. This so-called maintenance was merely upholding a hollow, prestigious shell.

And now, Cody was going to send these two arrogant nobles to that very place.

“Since you claim to be the most noble existences among the aristocracy, then go and lead them,” Cody said indifferently, looking at the gemstone in her hand, not even deigning to spare them a glance. She did not hide her mockery. “After all, guiding low-tier nobles like us wouldn’t be worthy of your status.”

These words were like two loud slaps across the faces of Celis and Nonat. Celis was so enraged she lost her noble poise, looking as if she were ready to tear Cody apart with her bare hands.

“Duke Cody, you had better know your place! You are a mere Duke; do you really think you are the Emperor?!” Celis hissed, her face turning ashen with rage.

Everyone knew that the fortress at the Holy Court was officially a castle guarded by mages, but in reality, the mages there were all illusions! They were phantoms left behind by a certain Archmage, creating a facade that the Holy Court was also guarding the border. In truth, that place was likely infested with countless monsters!

“The Heimdall peerage was not granted by your Vattel royal family,” Cody stated with sufficient confidence and pride. “The honor of the Heim family comes from the praise and nomination of the commoners; our prestige comes from their bows and salutes; our arrogance comes from their pampering and indulgence.”

For the past three hundred eras, the Vattel and Alf clans were only worthy of the people’s hatred and contempt. “Without the praise and willing offerings of the commoners, your so-called noble prestige is something only you can appreciate.”

Cody enjoyed educating people; she could even calmly offer a few lessons to those stubborn blocks of wood. But the people being educated would not thank her; they would instead harbor a deep, vicious grudge—the grudge of having the lie that they were born superior exposed.

“They are just like that—they don’t like hearing the truth.” Cody shook her head helplessly, swirling the potion in her hand. Although she had said much to the two who had already departed, judging by their expressions, they hadn’t listened at all.

Sitting on a low wooden stool, Yin Shaoqing was feeling incredibly cramped, unsure of where to put her long legs. She frowned and clicked her tongue. “Stop worrying about outsiders, my dear Sister Cody. Your sister, who has regained her height, has nowhere to place her long legs.”

“Then chop them off~” Cody replied instantly, even playfully raising an eyebrow. It was truly annoying—Yin had released her seal and suddenly became tall. Sigh… didn’t that make Cody the shortest in the Heim family now? Cody pursed her lips, feeling quite unhappy.

“Don’t be like that. Even though you’re short, you’re very cute.” Even though she was annoyed, Cody still had someone bring a taller chair for her sister. But after hearing Yin Shaoqing’s “consolation,” Cody wanted to smash her dog-head.

“Yin, if you don’t know how to comfort people, you can just stay silent,” Cody seriously lectured her family’s heir. Otherwise, with Yin’s mouth, the Heim family would eventually make enemies of the entire world.

“It won’t come to that.” Yin Shaoqing didn’t care at all. She sneered, “It’s only offending one Holy Court and two noble families.”

“Alright, Yin. How is your familiar?” Seeing Yin Shaoqing about to bring up that unpleasant topic, Cody quickly interrupted her.

“The Snow Fruits worked.” Yin Shaoqing raised an eyebrow, a trace of a smile on her lips. “And the effect is very obvious.” Now, Ladon had the cognitive level of a child; she had learned how to throw tantrums and act spoiled.

“Then why aren’t you looking after your familiar? Why are you lingering here with me?” Cody wanted to see her guest out. Every time Yin stayed here too long, Cody had to solve many troubles for her.

At the mention of this, Yin Shaoqing deflated, even looking a bit cowardly. Meanwhile, the Fat Calico Cat was frolicking in the depths of her soul, laughing like a fat pig. “Bah! You’re the fat one! You deserve to be treated like a mother by your own familiar!” The cat spat at its foul-mouthed host. It was nearly dying of laughter.

Ladon’s wildness had been partially erased, and her human reason was slowly recovering. Like a fledgling bird, her newly awakened, child-like humanity recognized Yin Shaoqing. What was worse was that Ladon subconsciously identified Yin Shaoqing as a parent.

“We can become a family, but we definitely can’t become that kind of family!” That kind of family? She couldn’t do it! She couldn’t bring herself to make a move on her own “daughter”!

“So you ran away? Pfft~” Cody couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. It was a rare sight—her tyrannical sister actually having a moment of fear. Haha, it was truly hilarious.

“That’s enough.” Yin Shaoqing pressed her hand to her forehead. Her main purpose today was to ask Cody to look after Ladon. “I used magic to seal the processed Snow Fruits in the space around Ladon; they will melt into her body at fixed intervals.”

However, the processed Snow Fruits would work best at the Heim Tavern at the very front of Trasil. The Heim Tavern was once the old castle of the Heim family. Later, when the last light elf vanished and the continent fell into chaos, monsters appeared around the Demon Realm Gate guarded by the Heim family. Considering the safety of their weak familiars, the family moved the castle to the rear of Trasil.

However, the family still sent Dukes to guard the old castle. The guarding rule used to be a rotation among the Dukes, with each Duke guarding for one era. But a few months ago, the Eleventh Duke of Heim, Keli, was punished with eternal stationing there.

“Yin, do you really not intend to see her?” Cody asked hesitantly. Looking at Yin Shaoqing’s cold eyes, she knew she shouldn’t persuade her, but as their blood relative, she truly didn’t want to see them never speaking to each other again.

“Sister Cody, you’re not in a position to say that.” Yin Shaoqing lowered her eyelashes, masking the gloom in her eyes. With a mix of malice and calm, she stated the reason why Prince Nonat and Princess Celis kept following her like a nuisance.

“Back then, in order to trade back Keli from the eldest Princess of Vattel, wasn’t it the eleven Dukes of the Heim family who collectively agreed to use me to trade for her?”

Not long after she crawled out of the Demon Realm, the Heim Dukes, who were searching the world for her under the guise of family affection, escorted her to the doors of the Vattel royal family. “That includes you, Cody.” Yin Shaoqing lazily lifted her eyelids.

The only reason she was willing to maintain a surface-level harmony with the Heim family was that she couldn’t be bothered to settle scores, but that didn’t mean she had forgotten the things that disgusted her. “I was willing to trade back Keli because the birth date of the next Eleventh Duke successor is still far off; she couldn’t die yet.”

Like a demon’s whisper, Yin Shaoqing peeled back the harmonious skin of the Heim family before Cody’s pale face. Actually, the Honorary Vice-Principal was right—the blood ties within the Heim family were thin, even less close than the contractual relationship with a familiar.

“The Heim family must have thirteen Dukes. I don’t care if you are crippled, sleeping, or turned into monsters by demonic backlash.” Yin Shaoqing stood up, her gaze fixed on the distant thunderstorms and gales, firm and persistent. “But before the next era arrives, no one is allowed to fall.”

The thirteen Dukes of Heim would be vital chess pieces for Ladon to reclaim her glory. She would not allow anyone to damage her plan.

“Yes…”

After an unknown amount of time, following sunset, in the dim and empty castle hall, Cody closed her eyes and responded with a choked voice. “Keli should never have fallen in love with the eldest Princess of Vattel…”

If she hadn’t fallen in love with that royal, she wouldn’t have been lured into the Vattel palace dungeons by that princess. Keli had been kind since she was a child; even though she became a cold woman when she grew up, they all knew she was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

But Yin was different. Yin was arbitrary, domineering, and violently erratic—which was why they had biasedly forced Yin to go to the palace to trade back Keli.

“I don’t think they owe me this,” Yin Shaoqing had told the Fat Calico Cat once. “Their remorse and guilt are merely a bargaining chip.” A chip that allowed her to more rightfully command the twelve Dukes of Heim. Being a member of the Heim family herself, Yin Shaoqing was similarly distant from her blood relatives. All the intimacy was just a facade.

“Never believe the words of a dark mage; they are through-and-through liars.” Yin Shaoqing stated this fact quite seriously.

The fact also was that Ladon, having arrived at the Heim Tavern, discovered she had been deceived by her dear master. Where was the woman who promised to wait for her here? Where was her big, tall master?

Ladon was dumbfounded. With only the understanding of a child, she tightly clutched the lace necklace her master had given her, hiding in the upstairs room of the tavern and refusing to come out. A Great Mage named Keli said this used to be her master’s room. Ladon sensed danger and violence within it, which made her uneasy. So she hid opposite that room, in the shadows of the corridor, curled into a ball.

“What if your familiar suffers?” the cat asked its host casually after watching everything.

What else could be done? Yin Shaoqing said heartlessly, “Poor children grow up early; suffering will help Ladon grow.” Furthermore, hadn’t everyone been advising her not to overindulge her familiar?

“Just say you’re afraid of Ladon calling you ‘Mom’ and be done with it!” The cat slapped its lying host in the face. Previously, Ladon had been soothed to sleep by Yin Shaoqing. Under the purification of the Snow Fruit, she slept for two days. Upon waking up, to Yin Shaoqing’s delight, she let out a loud cry of “Mama!”

It had scared Yin Shaoqing half to death on the spot. Truly—she flew away. The cat experienced it firsthand, following Yin Shaoqing’s soul as she flew out the window. It swore it saw a Reaper with ram horns! Except that Reaper looked a lot like the Heim family’s butler, Bamei.

“What do I have to be afraid of?” Yin Shaoqing sneered. “A disobedient brat just needs a good beating.” She spoke with great bravado, but in reality, her “scared-to-death” look in her eyes nearly killed the cat with laughter. Tsk tsk tsk, its foul-mouthed host finally had her day—she deserved it!

Fine, knowing she had been exposed, Yin Shaoqing helplessly pressed her forehead. She could only hope Ladon would recover her human reason in the tavern as quickly as possible. She did not want to raise a child, and she certainly didn’t want to be her mother!

The prayers of a great dark mage possess magical power. Of course, for a “bad luck” person like Yin Shaoqing, her prayers had an 800% chance of having a reverse effect.

Ladon, curled in the corner, encountered the two people she wanted to shred.

“Senior Ladon?” Celis, dressed in an expensive and magnificent gold long dress, widened her eyes. “Why are you sitting here?” She was first extremely surprised, but then joy climbed onto her face.

She hadn’t expected her chance for a comeback to arrive so soon!

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