The Villainous Family Loves Me Too Much!

“There is a secret about our household that I haven’t disclosed regarding your father’s death.”

In the center of the receiving room, Lucian and I sat across from Grandfather, with a table between us.

“Grandpa, that is…”

I began with concern, but he shook his head with a smile.

“I no longer wish to conceal this from this guy, honey.”

Uncharacteristically tense, Lucian’s clasped hands trembled slightly.

“Why all this ado before speaking your mind?”

“Mackeon wasn’t the first humanoid monster.”

Involuntarily, a cold sweat broke across my skin. If this provoked another outburst from Lucian towards his grandfather, undoing their newly repaired relationship…

“Do you recall your former mentor, Sir Robben?”

“…Yes.”

“Sir Robben tragically became a humanoid monster through an accident. And because of that, your father…”

“I am aware.”

What? He was aware?

But surely he couldn’t possibly remember.

“How could you know about…”

“The day Karena peered into my past to save me, I too witnessed the truth of that incident.”

“Lucian…”

Neither Grandfather nor I could find words to respond.

“You pretended not to believe me then, in order to protect me, didn’t you?”

“Protecting a stalwart fellow like you? Now that’s nonsense.”

Flustered, Grandfather diverted the subject awkwardly.

“I knew you deliberately did so, afraid I might be hurt…”

Grandfather then retrieved a bundle of parchments from his robe, placing them on the table.

“These are the final words your father left for me. Read them for yourself.”

One by one, Lucian unrolled and laid out the parchments.

Neatly penned in meticulous calligraphy, the letters brimmed with a father’s love for his son.

“It was your father who sought to protect you. I merely honored my child’s dying wish.”

* * *

Ferrel Felosite was the only son of Heinrich Felosite, the Archduke and lord of Felosite.

Unlike his brusque, uncompromising father Heinrich, Ferrel inherited his mother’s gentle disposition.

He married a beloved noblewoman, and they were blessed with an adorable son and daughter.

How could one ask for more happiness? Whenever he beheld his beautiful family, Ferrel wondered.

Until strange visions began manifesting before him after becoming Archduke and venturing into a cave to exterminate beasts.

“Sir Robben, can you see this too?”

“Yes, Your Highness. But what in the world…”

Within the cave shimmered a small, luminous rift. Not appearing threatening, yet an inexplicable fissure hung in empty space.

Entranced, Ferrel unconsciously reached his hand towards the light.

The moment his fingers made contact, Ferrel was instantly sucked through the rift.

“Your Highness!”

Sir Robben too vanished into the rift while trying to grab his lord.

When Ferrel opened his eyes, he found himself in a bizarre place.

Everyone had yellow faces with black hair.

A rectangular device rested in his palm.

And beside him stood another of those black-haired strangers.

“And just who might you be?”

“Who am I? I’m Robben, a knight of Felosite!”

“Robben? You’re Robben?”

Their raised voices drew the cafe patrons’ attention.

“Look at those two, some kind of roleplay?”

“Yeah, weirdos. But they seem normal looking enough.”

Those nearby eyed the pair suspiciously before changing seats.

“Could you be… His Highness the Archduke?”

Though seemingly ordinary Korean young men, they were indeed the Archduke and knight captain of Felosite.

“Just what is going on here?”

“In my view, that rift may connect alternate worlds, Your Highness.”

“Then we must find a way to return…”

The two huddled in a back alley, assessing their predicament.

“Your Highness, take a look at this.”

Robben thrust the rectangular object towards Ferrel.

“It seems to be something the body’s owner was reading, yet feels oddly familiar.”

“The Saintess… of the Dawn?”

Tiny text was displayed on the rectangular screen.

Despite the unfamiliar language, they could somehow comprehend the contents – likely because the body’s owner understood it.

“Look here, Your Highness.”

Suddenly, a ‘gugung’ sound rang out as Lucian the Archduke of Felosite appeared.

Truly a villain among villains, his eyes were utterly devoid of light.

“The Archduke of Felosite has arrived to destroy the Empire!”

The entire imperial army fired arrows at him, but to no avail.

Lucian the Archduke of Felosite?

Lucian was Ferrel’s firstborn son.

“Why is my son’s name written here?”

“It’s not just Lord Lucian’s name, Your Highness.”

Flipping further revealed…

The notoriously wicked lineage was the Felosite Archducal household itself.

Undoubtedly, Lucian Felosite surpassed even his grandfather Heinrich, the former Archduke.

His weak father Ferrel, who met an untimely demise in a carriage accident…

For some bizarre reason, Robben kept snickering while reading this incomprehensible text.

“This is just spouting utter nonsense. Quite the imagination.”

Yet to dismiss it as mere imagination when the character names were so accurate:

Heinrich Felosite, Ferrel Felosite, and Lucian Felosite.

Beyond that, no further details about the Felosite Archducal household, yet it left an unsettling impression nonetheless.

“Let me see that again.”

Snatching the phone from Robben, Ferrel began reading the novel from start to finish right then and there.

Peculiarly, each chapter had these ‘comments’ attached:

[└Author, please revise the story. We cannot have this sad ending.]

[└The villain must be killed. Kill him off quickly!]

[└The Felosite Archduke is evil. He killed our Gabriel.]

Everyone reading this novel wished for the death of his own son Lucian.

“Just who wrote this atrocious novel?”

Disgusted, Ferrel shoved the device back to Robben and stood up.

“Huh? Your Highness, the content seems to have changed suddenly?”

The previous chapter mentioning Lucian’s encounter with Princess Karena was now gone, the protagonist having changed altogether.

“Your Highness, please look at this.”

The black-eyed Lucian abruptly leapt from the carriage and bolted into the forest at full speed.

“Lucian!”

…

“Listen carefully, Sir Robben. It seems like Lucian’s awakening has begun.”

“But it can’t be happening already. His 18th birthday is still far away. The decryption should come soon…”

The knight named Robben replied with an uncharacteristically quavering voice.

“Eventually, it will happen like this. The fate of the cursed bloodline can’t be escaped.”

For reasons unknown, the novel’s entire plot had drastically shifted.

“How does this end, Sir Robben?”

As the two read the altered ending, a rift of light manifested before them.

“Could this be…”

“It seems our way back has opened. I’ll go first. Follow me, Your Highness!”

And so the pair leapt through the rift, suddenly finding themselves back in the cave.

Thereafter, Ferrel spent increasing periods consumed by contemplation.

‘There must be some reason behind these strange occurrences befalling me.’

A novel from another world featuring his own family. And its storyline altering to depict Lucian’s encounter with Princess Karena.

‘If everything written in that novel were to become reality…’

Unaware, Ferrel’s face had contorted into a scowl.

“Father, why the long face? Don’t frown, you should smile!”

The innocent young Lucian appeared before his troubled father, grinning mischievously with those unknowing eyes.

Beholding his son’s face conjured the tale of that other Lucian from the otherworld novel.

A son portrayed as the villain. He could never accept this beautiful child growing despised and alone by all.

‘Yes, I must ensure he meets Princess Karena by his eighteenth year. Before my demise.’