I Need to Raise My Younger Sister Right

Chapter 3

Rachel laughed to herself.

Wow. This place has really become a mess, huh?

On one side of the hall, bottles of alcohol were strewn around. On the other side was a pile of outdated weaponry.

Moreover, a drunk knight commander, hired through nepotism, was grabbing on to another knight as if he were a mere rat.

“Y-you bastard, one word is all I need to fire bastards like you. Huh? Is that what you want? To get fired?”

That man... Isn’t he Rupert Archer?

An indomitable knight who would protect the main protagonist, the saintess, through countless dangers.

I remember. He was said to be a knight of House Agnus originally, right?

Judging by the atmosphere inside the drill hall, today must’ve been the day he would leave the household.

“You bastards. If you don’t stop now...!”

It was time for her to slowly begin stepping in. After all, she couldn’t miss out on Rupert. He was a respectable figure who would later rise to the rank of master.

If she couldn’t get ahold of him now, he would eventually become an obstacle in her favorite character’s life.

Rachel smirked and opened her mouth. “If they don’t stop now, then what?”

The knights, who had finally taken notice of her presence, looked embarrassed.

“Will you fight him?” she asked as she tilted her head.

Tayle withdrew his sword in a fluster.

“Y-Your Grace, what are you doing all the way down here...?”

“Is it that surprising to see me walking about in my own house?”

Well, of course it was.

Surely, he would have thought that she must have welcomed the day with alcohol yet again.

“You there, will you bring me a chair?”

“Ah, yes, of course!”

When the knight she’d addressed brought her a chair, she sat down nonchalantly and crossed her arms.

Anyone observing could clearly tell that she was prepared to watch, but Tayle and Rupert, who were still assessing the situation, simply stood there blankly.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to fight each other?”

“Is it allowed?” Rupert asked, a chilling look in his eye, like a beast eyeing his opportunity.

“Of course. Whatever the outcome may be, I assure you that there will be no disadvantages to you. I shall promise it on my name.”

A noble, someone who valued honor, had put her name on the line.

In other words, he could do whatever he wanted to the knight commander without any consequences.

Rupert, who wasn’t one to shy away from such a good opportunity, drew his sword with a ruthless look in his eyes.

“Y-Your Grace. Are you sure about this?” Tayle looked at Rachel as if he were hoping for salvation.

For some reason, only coldness remained in her eyes.

Something was wrong.

Something was definitely wrong.

Abigail told me she wasn’t in her right mind. So why...?!

His thoughts were cut short.

“Ah. Come to think of it, I would be disrespecting my sword if I were to wield it against you,” said Rupert.

“What?”

“I shall use this instead.”

Rupert withdrew his sword and held up a wooden one that was normally used for practice.

“Crazy bastard. You’re going to fight me with a wooden sword?”

Now matter how skilled and talented a knight was, it was an act of suicide to use a wooden sword against an opponent wielding a metal sword.

Tayle, who now believed that he had a chance of winning, drew his sword with a wry smile.

“Arrogant bastard. I shall make you regret your decision!”

However, despite his confident attitude, Tayle was simply beaten like an animal, unable to defend himself even once.

“Aah! Wait, hold on!”

The result was obviously an overwhelming victory for Rupert.

“How pathetic,” Rachel muttered to Tayle, who squirmed on the ground.

She hadn’t had any expectations in the first place, so there was no reason for her to be disappointed, but he was much lousier than she could ever have expected.

Drinking while on the job, a rusted sword, and a clumsy posture that was noticeable even by someone who wasn’t knowledgeable in swordsmanship. If it wasn’t for Abigail, a man like him would never even have become a regular knight, let alone a knight commander.

“It…It’s only because I’m feeling under the weather. If you give me one more chance, I shall make up for my mistake!”

“Will you?”

“Your Grace!”

She took her eyes off of Tayle, who hurriedly tried to make excuses for himself, and approached Rupert.

“Sir Rupert.”

Upon hearing his name, a tension began to settle into his face.

Was she going to retract her statement that she wouldn’t hold him accountable?

Given that his trust in her had hit rock bottom, it wouldn’t have surprised him had she gone back on her words.

However…

“From today onwards, you shall be the knight commander.”

“Pardon?”

What had he just heard?

Knight commander, all of a sudden?

Now that I see it, Her Grace’s eyes are…

Like jewels, there was an ethereal shine to the duchess’s blue eyes.

Could he be dreaming?

Many thoughts quickly raced through his head, but they didn’t linger for long. A low, clear voice pierced into his ears, interrupting his thoughts.

“I shall give you my first order,” said Rachel.

“P-please go ahead.”

Before he knew it, he was holding his fist to his chest and bowing down in front of her.

“Round up all those good-for-nothings and put them away at once.”

Although her voice was gentle, it held a power that couldn’t be defied.

Aah, finally!

The duchess had changed.

Why she had changed was a mystery, but what mattered was that the moment he had long been waiting for had finally come.

Overwhelmed with an intense joy, he held together his shaking voice and exclaimed, “I shall accept your order!”

***

In the head lady-in-waiting’s office, Abigail’s morning was always filled with leisure.

Every day, she would tidy her hair with a fancy scented oil and have the other ladies-in-waiting massage her hands and feet.

She relished in House Agnus’ wealth and power as if it were her own.

The heavens have helped me. If I hadn’t gotten my hands on that…

Absolutely no one had an inkling that the current duchess was addicted to a drug.

They thought she was affected by a sense of loss and had fallen into a depression from the shock of losing her parents in an instant. After all, she was inherently feeble-minded and introverted, so who would ever suspect it?

Although what happened this morning does concern me a little…

On a normal day, the duchess would have been lethargic as soon as she opened her eyes and would ask for a glass of wine.

After all, that was how she’d conditioned the duchess to use the drug.

However, the pattern that had never broken once over the past half year had now changed.

It must be a coincidence.

She didn’t have to see it to know that Rachel was currently in the bathroom enjoying her glass of wine.

Addiction was a disease—a disease of a type that couldn’t be overcome by a simple change of heart or strong will.

The events of this morning were nothing more than the result of her unfortunate condition.

After she’d done her best to calm her nerves, Abigail spoke to the pink-haired lady-in-waiting who was carefully massaging her feet.

“Can’t you put a little more strength into it? How do you expect to be useful with such weak hands? Tsk, tsk.”

“I apologize.”

The lowest-ranking lady-in-waiting was always tasked with insignificant duties like giving a foot massage or doing the chores.

Sometimes Abigail would give jewelry to people she liked, and when she served as a companion to others, they would readily become her hands and feet. While the duchess had lost her people’s trust, this was how Abigail won them over.

Abigail disapprovingly looked at Ann, who continued to massage her feet powerlessly despite her criticism, and clicked her tongue.

“Tsk, tsk. It seems that you still don’t know who it is that you really need to impress.”

Ann was a child adored by the senior lady-in-waiting, who’d been kicked out of the house by Abigail. In order to show her what treatment she would continue to receive if she didn’t get on Abigail’s good side, Abigail had tasked Ann with all the trivial chores.

A while later, another lady-in-waiting appeared with an urgent look on her face.

“My lady. There’s something urgent I must tell you!”

It was the lady-in-waiting who’d barely managed to escape after being locked in the closet by Marcus.

“What’s with the fuss? You’re being too noisy.”

“H-Her Grace and Lord Lanton had a meeting!”

“What?” Abigail rose from her seat immediately. She glared angrily at the messenger. “Did I not tell you to deliver it to her?”

If she’d drunk the wine, she shouldn’t have been in her right mind to meet with Lord Lanton. Yet the two of them met?

“Yes. I did deliver it to her, but...”

“You didn’t check whether she drank it before you left?”

“That is, I saw her putting her lips on the glass. And then she locked me up!”

“You idiot!”

The cake plate that Abigail threw landed against innocent Ann’s face.

“Aah!”

“Did I not tell you to check with your eyes to see if she drinks it?”

“I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“This is exactly why I shouldn’t have taken a chance on a tactless idiot like you. You’re fired. Get out of this mansion at once!”

Baron Lanton… I should’ve dealt with that pesky fly early on, but in the end, he met with the duchess!

Abigail furiously grabbed the vase that was on the table and smashed it on the floor.

***

After locking up Tayle and the other pieces of garbage in prison, Rachel explained to Rupert that the reason she’d been acting weird for the past half year was due to the drugged alcohol that Abigail had given to her.

Though she still wasn’t sure what drug this body had consumed, she was convinced that it had affected her in some way.

“Mark my words, Sir Rupert. We mustn’t let a single one of them escape.”

“Yes, Your Grace. I shall carry out your orders to the fullest even if it costs me my life.”

“Well, you don’t necessarily have to risk your life for it...”

“Do not worry. I shall fulfill your orders with my name and honor on the line!”

Rachel laughed nervously as she looked into Rupert’s heavily determined eyes.

Why did he keep putting more on the line? It was becoming a bit burdensome…

“Well, aside from that, I’m sure you already know who it is that you need to lock up?”

“Of course, Your Grace!”

It was five minutes before the territory was turned upside down. Given that the knights were in such a state, how much worse might the rest of the territory be?

The people who should’ve been occupying important roles had been demoted or left, and the empty seats were filled by Abigail’s relatives.

They couldn’t risk letting a single one of them escape. They had to put every last one of them in prison before House Weiber, who must have acted as Abigail’s support, could intervene.

Besides, the current head of House Weiber is in my hands. Hehe, what perfect timing.

She laughed contentedly as she thought of Tayle being dragged off to prison after being beaten by Rupert.

Rachel split up the knights and soldiers into groups and ordered them to capture the people that had appeared in Marcus’ report.

Their crime was attempted poisoning of the duchess.

As for herself and Rupert, their target was Abigail.

Haa, if I think about all the suffering my Liz went through because of that woman…

Her fists shook.

Her favorite character would be introduced to the house a year from now, at nine years old. Because of the suffering she would have to endure after that, she would eventually grow up to be an amazing villainess.

But as long as I’m alive and well, I can’t let that happen.

Her favorite character would only be allowed to walk down a flower path.

After all, I was only able to endure all those days because of you.

At the sudden reminder of her past memories, a dark shadow fell over her blue eyes. But it wouldn’t remain for long.

“Now then, shall we slowly get started?”

To shake off the gloom, she purposely wore a brighter expression and led the way.

Their destination was the source of all this ruckus: the head lady-in-waiting’s office.

***

Had something happened?

At the sound of something breaking, Rachel entered Abigail’s office.

A crease formed in her brow.

The floor was a mess, as though someone had thrown a fit of rage.

There was a pink-haired lady-in-waiting shivering in the corner with her face covered in whipped cream.

“What is going on?”

Only when she’d noticed Rachel’s presence did Abigail’s eyes begin to quiver.

“I-I’ve actually been meaning to visit you...”

Rachel simply walked past Abigail with her eyes frozen like ice.

“Clean yourself with this.”

She gave Ann a handkerchief before looking around with a cold expression. “Abigail.”

Sensing the change in Rachel, Abigail’s lips hardened.