A Fairy Tales For The Villains

 

“I mean… I don’t know when it’s going to be any safer out there. Like I said last time, we can’t lose you guys. I don’t even need to tell you the state young nobles are in right now. We must do all we can to keep you safe until this cursed disease is put to rest… at least you guys…”

 

The Viscount’s voice

shook

like he was about to cry. I didn’t dare speak; none of the siblings did. The

realization

that some of my friends might have died moved to the forefront of my

awareness

, and I thought that if I complained more in this situation, I would be doing something really bad.

 

Nevertheless, it was evident that life

in the tower rooms

was unbearable. Even rational adults wouldn’t take it—why did they think some teenagers would be okay with this?

 

The first to speak was Lettis. He spoke in a softer, more cautious tone.

 

“Uncle… tell me exactly when we can leave this place. No matter how many days it takes, we’ll be patient until then. Just say it clearly. It’s torture to wait day after day in the dark without knowing anything.”

 

“One month.”

 

“…a whole month?”

 

“Just one month. I know it’s impossible to endure it any longer than that. It would be hard for a grown man, so you children

won’t

be able to endure for that long… If you endure for just one month and stay here, then no matter what the situation is, I will send you to Pzeya, okay?”

 

A week

turned into

two weeks and now it was a month. Looking at the siblings’ faces, it felt so far-fetched that the situation didn’t seem real. I was no different. 

 

Had this situation been described in the book I had read in a previous life, I might have dealt with it differently. 

 

I was at a loss for words at that moment. However, I was not in the position to question the siblings’ uncle about this.

 

All I could do was try to make

tolerable

the dark and absurd reality that had fallen on my feet.

 

* * * * 

 

With the grace period extended to one month, Viscount Ipolit left us with a few more promises.

 

First of all,

clothing for me,

changing the menu every day as soon as a new chef was found (even the assistant chefs said it was difficult to make a grand dish because they were sick one after another), and he said that whenever necessary, we should write a list and put it in the tray cart so that Mr. Harris could see and check it.

 

The paper and pen needed

for

the list could easily be found in the library. We needed a stove and a kettle to

heat water,

extra towels, and sanitizer. 

 

The candles and kerosene were still in good condition, as there were more than a dozen in a box I’d found in the library.

 

The

things we requested arrived the next morning with the tray cart. As long as I had the small but brand-new red stove, my sickly Estelle wouldn’t have to wash in cold water.

 

When I told her about it, Estelle wasn’t excited, but was instead sullen and said something like this,

 

“What’s the point? I’ll die from suffocation anyways.”

 

It would certainly be difficult to get through the next month

as we had

for the past two weeks. The biggest problem was finding a way to kill time. 

 

We had the library, where we could wander around or find something to read. A place with all kinds of books, big enough to play hide-and-seek, and a place with a window in addition to the upstairs bedroom. 

 

The problem was that it was so dusty and dirty that no one wanted to play there. Although Venya occasionally went in and out, it was only to do something dangerous like going through the window and meeting Mr. Gargoyle.

 

“Sasha, what are you doing? Why are you standing in front of the library like that?”

 

“… I’m trying to

think of

a way to fix this place up. If it’s clean, Estelle will be able to play here too, so wouldn’t that make it less frustrating? What do you think, Lettis?”

 

As soon as I

mentioned it

, he stared at the place as if the idea tempted him.

 

“I think it’s a great idea… how can we make it clean?”

 

…I’m sorry. I forgot you were a young noble, the heir of a Duchy on top of that. You probably don’t even know what mopping is.

 

Of course, I didn’t do much while growing up in this life either, but as I have memories of my previous life, I can’t say that I don’t have any practical experience.

 

“What are you two talking about over there?”

 

Venya came closer to us.

 

“Ah, Sasha was talking about cleaning this place.”

 

“How? We can’t call the servants.”

 

It seemed that, for these two, cleaning was something like magic that the servants

wielded.

The temptation to destroy that childhood innocence was bubbling up.

 

“You guys had one the whole time. Here. With you. Me.”

 

When I said that as I patted their chests with an offended expression on my face; they were embarrassed. Taking advantage of their confusion, I added with a smile.

 

“I think I can do it if you help me out. We’ll have to stay here for a while, don’t you want to be a little less bored?”

 

In the end, the two naive Masters agreed, and before I went to bed that night, I

added

a note with a list of cleaning tools

to

the tray cart.

 

It took us several days to clean the huge library. I don’t know why anyone would build such a big library here, or even what they would use it for. We didn’t even clean it thoroughly. We just dusted a little here and there on the floors, drawers, shelves, walls, and everything else that was in our reach. When cleaning the walls and bookshelves, the neat ladders that Venya had collected were very useful.

 

While Venya was diligently pacing to scoop up water with a bucket, Lettis learned how to scrub and mop, and frankly, I have to say I was a bit surprised with how quickly he

took

to it.

 

In addition, both were superior to me in strength, so I was able to produce quite satisfactory results.

 

“Look at my workmanship. This is the dignity of Serpente’s successor.”

 

“My brother’s dignity is so blotchy. Geez, have you ever seen such shame in a family…”

 

“What about you then?!”

 

In the end,

they fought

over who cleaned the floors better. I also cleaned diligently, but apparently it wasn’t enough to

best

the Young Masters who were naturals at this. 

 

‘Cough, cough. And people say career doesn’t beat talent.’

 

“Achoo! Oh, my nose is itchy. Don’t tell me I’m sick, I’m not right?”

 

“It’s not like Oppa’s

gotten

sick or anything… it’s just because of the dust.”

 

“Is it? Dust also does that, huh. It’s strange.”

 

Venya scratched his nose, amazed by the discovery. These guys had never felt a particle of dust in their lives…

 

It was still very strange to see Lettis and Venya, sleeves rolled up to

their

elbows, crawling on the

floor and scrubbing like servants

. It was funny and sad, with a little bit of pride mixed in.

 

“I wish I could wipe the tops of the bookshelves.”

 

“But there’s no way.”

 

“I can climb up the ladder, then grab the shelf and climb up.”

 

“What? No. It’s too dangerous.”

 

His love of challenge activated,

Venya ignored my words and climbed to the top of the bookshelves. At this point, I thought he must have been a circus member in his last life.

 

“Whew! It’ll be great to take a nap up here!”

 

…Or maybe, he was a cat. 

 

“Sasha, would you like to come up too? I won’t ask Lettis because he’s such a coward.”

 

“Who are you calling a coward!?”

 

“Don’t get involved! Letty! Stop arguing!”

 

It was truly fortunate that Estelle appeared at the moment Lettis was about to join his brother on the dangerous journey.

 

Estelle looked around the half-cleaned library for a moment with a puzzled look on her face as if wondering what we had been doing down here all day, and then she saw Venya sitting on a bookshelf looking down proudly, and

said.

 

“Can I go up there?”

 

“Esteeeeeeeeelle!!!”

 

‘

How could Estelle say such a thing!

Estelle, who hates high places!? Uwaaaahh! How can life in boring confinement be so dangerous!’

 

* * * *

 

Cleaning the library took several days and left us utterly exhausted and covered in sweat and dirt, but it was worth it. 

 

The library’s atmosphere

had been transformed into something so neat that it was difficult to

remember what it looked like initially.

It gave me a sense of satisfaction and pride in my hard work.

 

The windows were also cleaned, so even though it was small, it was quite sunny. The floor still creaked here and there, but this narrow hiding place was finally a playground. Finally, there was a way to kill time other than eating.

 

We ran around for a long time as if we were children.

 

Even Estelle was snooping around the bookshelves curiously. After about half a day, Estelle finally announced.

 

“I’m dying of suffocation.”

 

…Of course, no matter how clean and spacious the library was, being locked up was still being locked up. Compared to the times when we were free to wander around a spacious mansion,

we were choking in the tower

.

 

“It’s unavoidable. You’re getting to build your knowledge while you’re here. When will you get the chance to read so many books again?”

 

Whoa, that’s a mature statement from Serpente’s heir. Is this why people say there’s no brother like an older brother?

 

“Wow, if you put a hammock here, it would be awesome.”

 

In the meantime, Venya was crawling up the bookshelf again and giggling. I decided to pretend I didn’t hear him. Even if I said it was dangerous, he wouldn’t listen to me. So, I decided not to worry about him falling and breaking a bone.

 

Lettis’ suggestion was quite plausible, and everyone picked a few books that caught their eyes and sat at their desks to start reading them.

 

It was all very old-fashioned and difficult to read, so the only things I could read easily were gossip magazines and history books, which were far from recent events because they were too old.

 

After cleaning the library, things went well for a while. Except for mealtimes, we spent most of the

day in

the library.

 

When we got bored

with

sticking our noses in books, the four of us would play hide and seek

or tag

. We were all too old to play such games, but there was no other way to endure the long imprisonment.

 

Mmmhh… isn’t there a saying that infantile regression is a means of protecting the spirit? I had a mission to take care of these siblings as best as I could.

 

While we were in captivity, each day felt like a week. Whether we were being childish or just trying to stay sane, we did our best to be happy in our own way. It

seemed

that everyone, not just me, was trying to erase a certain premonition that lingered in our minds.

 

We took turns playing chess on an old, cracked chessboard discovered in the library’s corner. We drew on

faded

paper with ink pens, fought to see who could read the longest, and played hopscotch using lines made with a candle.

 

Of the things we asked for,

I was provided

only two sets of gowns to wear. There were a few extra sets of underwear and corsets for maids that had laces that tied forward. Whether or not they had found a new chef, the menu was still the same. I left a note asking him to bring another snack at the very least. 

 

Only the first time we sent the note did we receive what we asked for. After that… I don’t know if they were ignoring us because we had already obtained the essential items like a stove, cleaning tools, and clothing. Maybe that’s when I started to realize— 

 

No, maybe I knew the truth from the beginning.