CHAPTER 3
“No. That won’t be necessary.”
I quickly waved my hands to shoo the butterfly away.
If I had to watch it get shredded to bits by Tia’s silver thread, I’d probably lose my appetite all over again.
As the butterfly fluttered back over the terrace railing, Tia lowered her sleeve once more.
I let out a sigh of relief, grateful to have avoided another gruesome scene—when—
Knock knock.
A knock sounded from outside the room.
“I’ll check who it is.”
Tia gave a small bow and stepped off the terrace.
I quietly took another spoonful of soup and set the spoon down.
I’d already lost my appetite.
Soon, Tia returned.
“My lady, Lord Clark is here to see you.”
My body tensed up at the unexpected name.
‘Why is he here…?’
The memory of his murderous glare during last night’s dinner came rushing back, and my heart began to race.
“I don’t want to see him.”
I didn’t even have to think about it—I flat-out rejected the visit.
‘Nothing good will come of meeting him.’
His eyes yesterday… They held long-harbored resentment and unmistakable hostility.
“Understood. I’ll send him away.”
Tia turned to deliver my refusal.
But not long after—
Bang. Bang.
Heavy footsteps pounded the floor, and the closed glass door burst open.
“Oh? Were you in the middle of a meal?”
I nearly stopped breathing at the sight of Clark leaning casually in the doorway.
“My Lord, this is outrageous!”
Tia’s voice sharpened in alarm.
Clark ignored her completely and pulled out the empty chair across from me, making himself at home.
“Still, come on now. How could you heartlessly turn away your dear brother when all he wants is a little chat?”
“Please leave. Come back properly through official channels.”
At Tia’s protest, Clark nonchalantly picked at his ear.
“Wow. Our dear Kiana really has a sharp little maid. She’s got spirit.”
His sarcastic grin faded, and his eyes turned cold.
“But shouldn’t you know your place?”
“……!”
“Makes me want to kill you on the spot.”
His eyes gleamed with murderous intent, devoid of the slightest warmth.
‘What the hell is wrong with this psycho?’
Sure, this house defied all logic, but the Brünnack family was still a prestigious noble house.
There should at least be some semblance of manners between family members.
Yet this guy stormed into his half-sister’s room in broad daylight, threw a fit, and now threatened to murder her maid?
“Stand down.”
I gave Tia a quick look, telling her not to intervene further.
Biting her lower lip, she reluctantly stepped aside.
“What do you want?”
I kept my voice steady and short, afraid my trembling would show.
Cold sweat trickled down my back, and my limbs felt numb with fear—but I forced myself to act composed.
‘If I show weakness, I’m done for.’
Growing up an orphan, uneducated, with nothing to my name—
I learned early that the more I backed down, the more people looked down on me.
And in this house, where siblings literally murder each other?
The moment you show fear, you become prey.
“You really don’t know?”
‘Would I be asking if I did?’
I stayed silent, and Clark’s mouth twisted.
“Maria.”
A name I hadn’t expected came from his lips.
“You killed her, didn’t you?”
‘What?’
I blinked, stunned by the outrageous accusation.
The only interaction I had with Maria was a brief, passing moment in the hallway a few days ago.
I hadn’t even left my room on the day she died.
And yet he thought I had killed her?
“I didn’t do anything like that.”
I injected strength into my voice and denied it firmly.
“Ah, that’s right. You didn’t lay a hand on her directly.”
Clark chuckled darkly. A mocking laugh.
“But you’re the one who told her Leon had some rare disease, said this was her chance.”
“……!”
It felt like I’d been struck in the head with a hammer.
If that was true, then I’d played a direct or indirect role in Maria’s death.
‘Wait—did that really happen?!’
I couldn’t think straight.
If what he said was true, I was completely screwed.
“What were you thinking?”
Clark looked at me like I was a puzzle he wanted to dismantle.
“You knew you’d die for this.”
“…….”
“So why? Why’d you hand Leon the upper hand like that?”
Despite his intense questioning, I stayed silent.
I had no idea what the original Kiana had been thinking before I possessed her—so I couldn’t even make up an excuse.
“Why so quiet all of a sudden?”
He sneered.
“I thought we were going to make great partners all the way to the finals.”
A chill ran down my spine at the venom in his voice.
So this was what real killing intent felt like. It was suffocating.
“Guess that’s not happening, huh?”
Before I could respond, Clark reached inside his coat.
‘Gasp—’
A cold blade slammed into the table.
It was a chain sickle—L-shaped, with a chain dangling from the handle.
‘He’s insane.’
Sweat beaded down my back. My body stiffened.
…
Dozens of red warning windows popped up in my vision—ones I’d never seen before.
“Next time we meet, this sickle won’t be for the table.”
“It’ll be for your heart.”
His voice was terrifying.
“Struggle all you want until then. Makes the hunt more fun.”
“…….”
“Got that, baby sister?”
Clark yanked the sickle from the table and stood up.
He glanced down at me—still frozen—and sneered.
Then he walked off the terrace.
BANG.
The door slammed shut behind him.
“Hah…”
Only after he left did the breath I’d been holding finally escape.
All the tension drained from me at once.
‘I… I survived.’
If he’d been serious about killing me, that sickle would’ve taken my head clean off.
I’d only been in Kiana’s body for a short time—I had no way of defending myself against someone like Clark.
The fact that he didn’t kill me… was a miracle.
“I’m so sorry, My Lady.”
Just as I caught my breath, Tia bowed deeply out of nowhere.
‘What now?’
I blinked at her, confused.
“It appears I wasn’t careful enough. They’ve found a trail.”
“……!”
So it was true.
Kiana had been involved in Maria’s death.
‘What the hell was she thinking?!’
She’d used Leon to kill Maria?
That only made Leon more powerful by giving him her Authority—as Clark had said.
‘I’m screwed.’
If you’re going to start a mess like this, at least clean it up first before dragging someone into your body!
She caused this—now I had to deal with the fallout.
“I will take responsibility and atone with my life.”
‘Wait, what?’
I thought I’d misheard her.
Kneeling like a criminal sentenced to death, Tia raised the silver thread to her neck.
“Stop!”
I rushed to intervene.
I knew she was extreme, but this was beyond what I’d expected.
“Get up.”
“But…”
“Don’t make me say it twice.”
My tone firm, she reluctantly stood.
“Now answer my question.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
Her voice was small, as if she expected punishment.
“Tell me about the orders I gave you.”
“You told me to leak the information about Lord Leon’s rare illness to Lady Maria.”
I motioned for her to go on.
“You instructed me to manipulate her—convince her it was the perfect opportunity to take him down.”
“Why did I give that order?”
I asked the question carefully, trying to dig for more.
“You said… you needed to confirm something.”
‘Confirm something…?’
