Episode 7
“D-Did you just hit me?”
Arius clutched his cheek, eyes wide in disbelief.
It was the first time anyone had ever struck him.
Why? Why would she hit me?
Still stunned, he looked down at Daphne, who merely smiled at him with a sly grin.
“You struck me first, so isn’t it only fair that I return the favor?”
“Y-you little…!”
Arius ground his teeth together.
“Still! How could you hit your older brother!?”
“…Older brother?”
Daphne blinked at the boy who didn’t resemble her in the slightest, looking unimpressed.
When she’d been a dragon, one of the greatest mysteries to her had always been family.
She’d never known how she was born, whether she even had parents — so she’d often wondered what “family” truly meant.
Sometimes she’d sneak into human homes under an invisibility spell and watch them quietly.
Humans argued, got angry, sulked — but no matter how fierce the fight, they remained bound by that invisible thread of family.
No matter how bad things got, they’d still share a meal together. They might fume, but they’d never truly abandon one another.
So to her, family was simple — those who cared for each other, no matter what.
But…
Now that she’d possessed this body, she realized this family was nothing like that.
The so-called “father,” the hero, barely reacted when his daughter came back from the dead.
And this so-called “brother”? He hit her the moment he saw her.
What kind of family was that supposed to be?
“I’ve never had such a rude brother.”
Daphne’s gaze sharpened as she glared at him.
“If you were family, you should have been by my side when I returned from death. But you never came to see me even once. I’ve never had such a brother — and from now on, don’t bother coming near me again.”
“……”
Arius gaped at her.
People said she’d changed after coming back to life, but this wasn’t change — this was madness.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
He scoffed and brushed a hand through his hair.
“Hey, for the record, I don’t think of you as family either.”
Instead of replying, Daphne just looked at him — calm, clear green eyes staring straight through him.
Somehow, that quiet look made Arius feel… ashamed. His fists clenched.
“Get real, you half-wit. You’re the disgrace of House Akion! And you dare talk about family?”
He didn’t exactly have the right to say that — after all, he was the adopted son, while Daphne was the true-born daughter.
But… his mother had always told him:
Arius, you are the pride of our family. No matter what anyone says, you are our son.
Remembering her words, Arius sniffed quietly.
Then, glaring sharply at Daphne again, he spat, “Whatever. Get lost. I came here to train.”
Spit!
He spat on the ground near her feet. A bit excessive, maybe — but who cared? He ignored the faint twinge of guilt that rose up.
That was when Daphne moved.
“H-hey, what are you—? Ow!”
Thwack!
Arius yelped, clutching his shin and hopping up and down.
“Y-you hit me again?!”
“Yes. I did.”
Daphne crossed her arms and lifted her chin proudly.
“I hit that filthy mouth of yours to shut it up. Got a problem with that?”
“Why, you—!”
“Actually, hitting you once for hitting me once isn’t proper etiquette. The polite thing is to hit you twice.”
“Hey!”
Arius raised his fist in fury — but hesitated.
This wasn’t like before, when he’d slapped her out of irritation. This time felt like a real fight, and he wasn’t sure how far it would go.
Before he could decide, Daphne kicked him in the shin again.
“AAAH!”
Arius hopped in pain once more.
“You little—!”
Fine. Enough! Time to show this brat who’s boss!
“Don’t cry when you lose!”
He charged at her, and Daphne, smiling fiercely, prepared to meet him head-on.
But right then—
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
A thunderous voice echoed through the training yard.
Damn it.
Recognizing that voice, Arius grimaced and ruffled his hair in frustration.
Daphne tilted her head.
“Who’s that fellow?”
“You forgot the Knight Captain’s face already? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Be quiet. Do you want another beating?”
Daphne lifted her foot threateningly, and Arius flinched before realizing what he was doing. He groaned, burying his face in his hand.
Ugh. Pathetic.
“But why’s he shouting like that?” Daphne asked innocently.
Arius, out of habit, answered honestly, “Probably ‘cause you and I are fighting.”
“It’s not a fight. You’re just getting beaten up. Let’s call things what they are.”
“Why, you—!”
Before Arius could swing, a booming voice cut in.
“Silence!”
The Knight Captain, Lloyd, strode between them.
He narrowed his eyes, glancing from Daphne to Arius.
Lloyd looked to be in his early thirties — a man with a shaved head and clear, amber-brown eyes that didn’t match his rugged, dark skin and burly frame. His bright eyes looked almost out of place, like a delicate deer’s gaze trapped inside a mountain of stone.
Daphne eyed him, lips curling slightly. She knew that look — he was about to scold them.
“I’m deeply disappointed,” Lloyd began.
Just as she expected.
But his next words surprised her.
“To fight in the sacred training yard without even drawing a sword — shameful!”
“…What?”
Daphne blinked, wondering if she’d misheard.
But no, he was dead serious.
“Here.”
Thunk.
He dropped two wooden practice swords in front of them.
“Now. Fight properly.”
“……”
Is this guy insane?
He’s seriously telling kids to duel with swords?
What kind of madhouse family is this?
Daphne couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
Arius, however, seemed perfectly accustomed to this nonsense. He picked up a wooden sword with practiced ease.
“Perfect,” he said, aiming the tip at her.
“Let’s see how you handle this. There’s no way you can beat me — you’ve probably never even held a sword properly.”
Clearly, he wanted payback for those earlier kicks.
Daphne smirked.
“You foolish brother.”
She picked up the other wooden sword.
“That’s my line.”
Raising her weapon, Daphne crooked a finger at him.
“Come on, then.”
Lloyd stood back, watching the two.
In truth, five-year-old Daphne couldn’t possibly match Arius.
She was frail, sickly since birth, and had never practiced swordsmanship — she lacked both strength and stamina.
Even so, Lloyd had tossed them the practice swords for one simple reason.
He could no longer stand by and watch her.
Daphne was the only heir to House Akion — and its greatest blemish.
The rumors that spread throughout the estate were all about her: her foul temper, her violent outbursts, her cruelty toward servants.
Known as the menace of House Akion, she seemed unstoppable — tormenting knights, striking maids, throwing fits over nothing.
As Duke Heros had ordered them not to touch her, Lloyd had swallowed his anger again and again.
But this time, she’d gone too far.
She had barged into the Duke’s council room not long ago, disrupted training for days, and now was brawling with Arius.
Just seeing her irritated him — filled him with disgust.
Perhaps, he told himself, she needed to be taught a lesson.
Maybe it was too harsh to let a five-year-old fight, but strangely, Lloyd found he couldn’t think rationally around her.
He hated Daphne.
Couldn’t stand the sight of her.
The feeling was too strong — almost unnatural, as though someone had implanted it within him.
So he ordered the match, planning to step in if things got too rough.
After all, Arius was a kind boy; he wouldn’t truly hurt her.
And if it got dangerous, Lloyd would intervene.
Satisfied with his logic, he turned his gaze back to Daphne.
She looked so small, so fragile — just lifting the wooden sword seemed to strain her arms.
Precisely why she needed to be disciplined, he thought. A weak child using her family’s name to bully others — intolerable.
But then—
“…Huh?”
Lloyd’s eyes widened.
Daphne’s stance—
It was perfect.
Unbelievably so, for someone holding a sword for the very first time.
