It wasn't the first time Raven had thoughts like this. Ever since she woke up in this world, the name Langston seemed very familiar to her.
Izer Langston was also a familiar name to her. It wasn't her first hearing of it, meaning that she heard these names in her former life.
'But where?'
'Was it not in prison?' Raven could feel that she was about unravel the mystery. Unfortunately, someone had to remind her that he was still alive and breathing. His screeching voice was what annoyed Raven the most.
''How dare you disregard my young master?! Of course you behave like a country bumpkin, thanks to your lowly blood. You should have given...''
''You….shut up.''
Raven's voice was neither particularly high nor particularly low. It was normal, like her usual childish voice. There was nothing special, but the head maid standing at the side with her head down felt something unusual. If it weren't for her control, she might have flinched on the spot.
'…was it my imagination?' She wondered, feeling the dampness on her back. This reaction was a sign of fear, and there were two people who elicited fear from her.
The grand duke and the second young master.
Why was feeling the same for the weak fourth young lady?
While the head maid was in thoughts, Raven came to a decision. Since Izer did not want to stop the wailing pig, then she would have to do it, and probably turn him to a pork. Her annoyance had reached its peak.
''H-How….''
''Big brother.'' Raven ignored the disbelief on the unknown man's face and looked at Izer, questioning him. ''Who's he?''
''..…''
''H-How—How dare you not know my family that has served the Langston for generations?!" The unknown man exploded, his face red from humiliation. How could a descendant of the Langston family not know of his prestigious family that has been serving them for generations?!
'So he's from a vassal's family.' Raven concluded silently. Her stare remained on the quiet Izer.
Then…he needed to know his place.
Raven sneered inwardly. She wasn't one to endure someone's bullying. Those dead arrogant prison mates were a good example of people who tried to make her feel inferior.
''Can I kill him, big brother?'' Raven unexpectedly dropped a bomb.
''F-Fourth…'' The quiet head maid's head snapped up. She wanted to say something, but Raven's next words were quite sharp and merciless.
''I assumed head maid was one with no voice. A mere swine from a vassal family wails very rudely and arrogantly. You as father's head maid just stood like a spectating audience and watched as this swine embarrasses my family.'' She said everything without a pause. Her eyes calmly moved to the head maid, staring down at her, even if she was the shortest person in the hallway.
''T-That….'' The head maid's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. The viscount's son wasn't the first person to boldly insult the fourth young lady. No one had taken actions against the frequent disrespect, including the grand duke. Even the fourth young lady had done nothing in the past. Why was it now that she complained? She even recounted the situation as though the viscount's son insulted everyone in the Langston family.
''What?'' Raven's eyes narrowed at the head maid. The corner of her lips curled up into a tiny smirk. ''Head maid wants to argue? How rude of you, head maid. Father must be benevolent to have an audacious servant like yourself.''
Benevolent? The grand duke? The head maid knew those two words were impossible to mix.
''…Apologies for my ignorance, fourth young lady.'' The head maid lowered her head in a docile manner. Indeed, what she did was wrong. No one needed to tell her that. The fourth young lady was also smart and bold to use the Grand duke's name in making her to submit.
As a daughter of the grand duke, she represented the grand duke's name. The viscount's son insulting her was also an insult to the grand duke. It was also the same for everyone, but they had forgotten, since the grand duke had done nothing to them for being rude to the fourth young lady.
At the same time, the head maid couldn't help but wonder what exactly had happened to the fourth young lady? Her behavior was very unusual today. Did something happen after she fainted on the battle grounds? But this was not the first time she had fainted, and she was the always the same after waking up.
''It's good that you know your mistake, head maid. This must not repeat itself.''
''As you wish, fourth young lady.'' The head maid lowered herself more. The fourth young lady was right. This must not repeat itself, as her master's name was at stake.
''You….''
''Big brother, can you answer my question?'' Raven shifted her gaze back to Izer. She blatantly ignored the fuming pig aside and voiced her remaining words with a grin.
''I am a very impatient person and that is something unknown to others.'' That was very true to people in this place. In her former life, well…the people who knew were ten feet underground.
''...'' The same as before, Izer kept quiet. Nothing escaped his lips.
''Young master! This servant is looking out for your best interest! The fourth young lady has disrespected your name! How dare she refer me to a lowly animal'' The viscount's son yelled and snorted in his heart. Kill him? Kill him for what? Wasn't it rumored that she hated the sight of blood? How could she even think of ending his life when he could end hers in a matter of minutes!
''...'' Izer still kept silent, even with the noisy man near his ear. His stare remained on his youngest sister, never shifting to another from the beginning.
''Raven.'' Her name was the first to come out of his lips. His voice, low-pitched and strong. An enigmatic voice that sends shivers to his enemies, and many who silently feared him.
''Yes, big brother?'' Raven blinked her red eyes to Izer. Her action emitted an innocent countenance, but her previous words were not and the exact opposite.
''You can.'' The viscount's son almost choked on his saliva at those unexpected reply.
What?
He agreed so easily?
'Isn't he your subordinate?' Raven was stupefied at first, but seeing those eyes that revealed nothing, she had a feeling that her elder brother was not joking.
No…could a person like him even make a joke?
Out of all her siblings, the original owner feared this particular sibling more than any one....even more than the grand duke.
''Really?'' Instantly, that stupefaction was gone. Raven's eyes sparkled in delight. She definitely was not like the cowardly original owner. This was the answer that she wanted to hear from him. That man's voice was very irritating to her ear, like the wailing pig he is, and it was quite tempting to slit his throat right now.
Regrettably, Raven knew that she couldn't do that. The original owner's body was very weak, and looking at the wailing pig taller and stronger than her petite figure, Raven knew she would be a goner.
''Young master!'' The viscount's son stared at Izer in disbelief. The arrogance in his eyes dimmed and he felt a sense of betrayal. ''H-How….''
''Raven is a Langston, Jerald. Your insult to her is an insult to father.'' said Izer who rarely spoke to anyone. His red eyes that never shifted from Raven, moved to the viscount's son whose name was revealed to be Jerald.
''B-But young master, she did not show respect by calling your name.'' A bit stunned, Jerald tried to laugh his words off. Why was the second young master suddenly behaving this way? In the past, he never paid attention to his siblings much less of the weakest among them. Many had secretly and boldly tarnished her name, like he did now. The grand duke had never complained, and the second young master was the same.
''Her actions were insolent to the heir, and her mother….''
''Jerald.''