Ā Chapter 1
. It All Began with My Older Sister’s Declaration That She Would Never Marry
“Your imprisonment will save the world.”
“…W-Why?”
“Because as long as you’re here, I won’t think about destroying it.”
“…”
“And if you aren’t…”
“…Surely you don’t need me to explain the rest? Especially when you have a younger sister more precious than your own life.”
It was a novel I had picked up one day simply because I was bored.
A little source of entertainment during my commute.
The story revolved around the male lead committing every outrageous act imaginable while imprisoning the heroine.
Who could have guessed that one day I’d suddenly be reincarnated into that very book?
…The title was The Tyrant’s Cage.
The heroine, Callisto, a duke’s daughter, was summoned to the Imperial Palace before inheriting her title.
There, she was kidnapped by the male lead and imprisoned.
After enduring endless obsession and madness, she eventually escaped.
Years later, she returned as a Saintess, reformed the male lead, and saved the world.
‘I sincerely regret ever enjoying this trashy novel just because it was spicy.’
As for me…
I was reborn as Helena, Callisto’s younger sister.
In the original story, Helena was a villainess who envied her sister and deliberately allowed herself to be taken hostage by the male lead, prolonging Callisto’s imprisonment.
…
The moment I regained the memories of both the novel and my previous life was during my parents’ funeral, when I was nine years old.
“Oh, you poor little things. Don’t you need a guardian?”
At the time, our greedy relatives had their eyes on the wealth of House Arcrux.
‘I have to pull myself together!’
I persuaded my grief-stricken sister not to accept any of those avaricious relatives as our guardians.
Fortunately, the only uncle who had no interest in our fortune arrived shortly afterward and became our legal guardian instead.
Thanks to that, I prevented the first major tragedy from the original storyābeing thrown out onto the streets.
From then on, I had only one goal.
‘Stop my sister from ever being imprisoned!!’
The first thing I did was teach her what a proper man should be like.
“Big Sis, what kind of man do you think is a good man?”
“Hm?”
“Can you repeat after me just once? There are only three things you need to remember about men: modest, shy, and absolutely not obsessive!”
“N-Not obsessive…?”
The early education was a complete success.
If only that had been enough for everyone to live happily ever after…!
“This is an emergency, Rodemin.”
Click. Click.
My footsteps echoed through the grand hallway.
I was on my way to my office for an emergency meeting with my aide.
Dropping into my chair, I handed Rodemin a stack of documents without even looking at him.
“My sister left.”
Rodemin’s mouth fell open.
He quickly composed himself before speaking.
“So… it really happened.”
“Yeah.”
“She declared she’d never marry… and left to become a Holy Knight.”
I stared blankly toward the sky.
Come on… she couldn’t have been serious…
The words I’d dismissed over the years resurfaced one after another.
“…The people who always bully my little sister are adults… and men.”
“…That came out of nowhere.”
“Mhm. That’s why I’m going to become stronger than anyone else, so no one will ever dare threaten our family again, Helena.”
…I had no idea.
Because I had been born physically frail, I naturally became the favorite target of our political enemies.
Sure, I’d been kidnapped a few times…
But I’d always escaped through my own quick thinking, with my uncle’s help.
I never realized…
That my sister, who always smiled so bravely, had been worrying that much about me.
More importantly…
I never imagined she’d end up developing a complete distrust of men.
Completely oblivious to my inner turmoil, Rodemin sighed in admiration.
“Wow… You’ve been training day and night all this time. I never expected Her Grace to give up not only marriage but even the ducal title.”
“…”
Yeah.
That was one disastrous combination.
The original story had established that my sister possessed remarkable talent with the sword but never had the chance to develop it.
Meanwhile, I excelled at administration.
Our idea had simply been:
“Let’s each do what we’re best at and everyone wins!”
Who could’ve predicted it’d end up like this?
I clenched my fists.
Suddenly, I remembered the last thing my sister had said before leaving.
“After watching you all these years… I’ve realized that the one truly suited to become Duke isn’t me.”
“It’s you, Helena.”
Although my sister’s personality had changed drastically from the original novel…
One thing had remained exactly the same.
Her unwavering sincerity.
And her stubbornness.
“So I want you to continue leading House Arcrux, just as you always have.”
“And I’ll become a Holy Knight.”
“When I’ve fulfilled my duties as a knight…”
“I’ll return and become the sword that protects you.”
She had spoken those words with sparkling eyes full of life.
In the end…
I couldn’t stop her.
She genuinely wanted this.
If I forced her to stay, how would I be any different from that horrible male lead in the original story?
I loved my sister that much.
So even though I was dying inside…
I smiled and told herā
“Okay.”
“Take care.”
And silently made myself a promise.
While she was away… I’d create the perfect place for her to come home to.
‘If that’s how it’s going to be… then I’ll conquer everything.’
The male lead.
And every bastard plotting against House Arcrux.
Every last one of them.
After hearing my explanation, Rodemin cautiously asked,
“…So what will you do now?”
“What else?”
“I’ll become the Duke of Arcrux in my sister’s place.”
Both my sister and I had already reached adulthood.
We couldn’t leave the ducal seat vacant any longer.
Besides…
There was no benefit in delaying the succession.
‘That incident is about to happen.’
I briefly considered taking a husband who would marry into the family, just as my sister had originally planned.
But…
I already had another plan in mind.
A few days later…
I officially inherited the title of Duke.
It had never once been part of my life plan.
Still…
That was fine.
Even if I had to go to the Imperial Palace, I was confident I could survive being beside that obsessive imprisonment-loving male lead.
The following day, the Imperial Family was informed that House Arcrux had a new Duke.
As expected…
A summons arrived almost immediately.
The first event that would eventually lead to my sister’s imprisonment.
The Duke of Arcrux shall assist the Crown Prince for one year.
In other words…
I had been ordered to become the secretary of the delinquent Crown Prince who would one day grow into a tyrant.
A dark room.
Documents were scattered across the floor.
Completely unlike his usual meticulous self, the room’s owner lay sprawled across a sofa.
“Your Imperial Highness.”
A sword rested in his hand.
Its tip was soaked with fresh blood.
Standing beside him, the chief steward bowed deeply.
“The new Duke of Arcrux will arrive in one week’s time.”
“They are to serve as Your Highness’s aide.”
“Oh…”
“So it’s Arcrux’s turn already?”
Some claimed his voice was so beautiful it sounded as though it had descended from heaven itself.
Yet…
What the chief steward saw was the hell created by that beautiful Crown Prince.
“So…”
“It seems this palace will be welcoming another newcomer.”
Jackal spoke as though discussing someone else’s affair.
“My father would never miss an opportunity like this.”
“So I’ll probably be cleaning up another corpse.”
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
“…My deepest apologies.”
The chief steward was convinced the new Duke would die at the Crown Prince’s hands.
Crown Prince Jackal Antos was infamous throughout the Imperial Palace for his bizarre behavior.
On the surface, he possessed a face sculpted by the heavens themselves.
But countless people, bewitched by his elegant smile and consumed by their desire for him, had ultimately met tragic ends.
His enemies fared no better.
Sometimes, after behaving perfectly normally…
He would suddenly change completely and draw his sword against someone.
Other times…
He would imprison his own trusted subordinates as though they were captives.
There were even rumors that, years ago, he had personally starved his own nursemaid to death.
The objects of his obsession varied wildly.
One day it might be an adorable cat.
Another day, a particularly unusual treasure.
But…
Among everything he’d ever become obsessed with…
Only a single cat was still alive.
That fact alone always sent chills down the chief steward’s spine.
Jackal smiled lazily.
Then, as if something had suddenly occurred to him, he lowered his gaze to the floor.
“The one who became Duke this time…”
“What’s the name?”
“Helena Arcrux.”
The moment he heard the name…
The man froze.
Then he abruptly sat upright.
“…Helena?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
An unreadable expression crossed his beautiful face.
“I knew it…”
“So it really is her…”
